Stand Alone
by 666The Kyojin Alchemist666
Summary: I need money, I need strength and I need to help my family. Passing the Hunter Exam seems like the only option now. It was just my luck that I made friends along the way; friends who understood my pain. I just hope that my luck will last, but something tells me it won't. KILLUA/OC HIGH T RATING - - MAYBE M LATER (Cover Image drawn by me)
1. Phase X One X Begin!

**HEY GUYS~ Sorry I've been absent for a while, I've been having a really bad case of writers block and I hate it. It's gotten to the point where I even tried to FORCE out a chapter but it just isn't happening.**

**So I decided to write this for fun while I wait for my ideas for my other stories to come back. (SORRY TO THOSE OF YOU WHO HAVE BEEN READER WHAT ARE YOU? I"VE BEEN HAVING THE MOST TROUBLE WITH THAT ONE)**

**I Do Not OWN Hunter x Hunter, 1999 version or otherwise.**

**BTW This is mostly going to be based on the 2011 Anime but I may throw in parts form the 1999 version here and there, like the Hallucination Sap tunnel and maybe the Sushi challenge in the second phase.**

_/1/ Hunter X Exam X Begin!_

I blinked my eyes slowly, trying to stay awake as I glanced around the tunnel at the other applicants. So far this 'Hunter Exam' had been pretty dull. It hadn't been too hard to find the location of the Exam but after I had arrived it had turned into a waiting game. It had been around 3 hours since I had arrived and a good 200+ other applicants had arrived to take the Hunter Exam.

I sighed and leaned my back against the cool stone wall of the tunnel behind me, slowly sliding down 'til I was sitting with one knee up to my chest as my other leg sprawled out lazily in front of me, finally getting sick of standing and waiting.

I glanced down to the round tag I had pinned to the left side of my black and white hoodie.

#100

It was an alright number…though I couldn't help but think I could have done better. I glanced up and looked at all the other applicants again. There were all sorts of odd balls among the crowd; like a walking pin-cushion of a guy that shook as he walked and a clown guy who gave off a thirst for a fight, but I could tell they were at least strong contenders.

None of the other applicants noticed me staring, hell, most likely none of them noticed I was even there at all. I had chosen a particularly shady corner of the tunnel to camp in so I didn't have to deal with any unwanted trouble, well, at least until the Exam started.

I raised my hand to my mouth as I yawned, my eyes watering at how tired I felt. Doing nothing was making me so bored I was ready to just kick back and sleep the remaining time away.

Just as I contemplated the thought of taking a nap I noticed someone making their way over to me. He was a rather plump looking man with an ugly box-shaped nose and a friendly, sweet and **fake** smile on his face.

As he came to stand next to me I didn't bother to look up until he spoke.

"Yo!" He said smiling wider. "I haven't seen you before, you must be a Rookie!"

I glanced up at him and raised a skeptical eyebrow, though I doubt he could see it from under my hood.

Box-nose spoke again. "I bet you must be wondering how I knew you were a rookie!"

I wasn't, actually…

"To answer your question; my name is Tonpa and this is my 35th time taking the Hunter Exam, so you could call me a Veteran of sorts! I know every single regular by now!" Box-nose –I mean- Tonpa seemed proud of the fact he participated so many times but I thought it was just plain sad…

"Say, you look thirsty." I snapped my full attention back to Tonpa as he said that, now that I thought about it I was kind of thirsty. Tonpa held out an orange can to me, "Here, something to commemorate our new friendship!"

I snorted quietly when I snatched the can from the plump man's hand. 'What friendship?' I thought as I popped open the can and brought it to my lips. Before I took a sip, however, I caught a sniff of the contents of the can.

'What the…'

I glanced down at the can and discreetly look another whiff of the drink. It was completely odorless and from what I could tell it was some kind of juice. What in the hell kind of juice was odorless, eh?

I took another whiff as Tonpa began to look a little nervous at my hesitation, and my eyebrow twitched as I caught a faint scent.

Laxatives. Very **strong **laxatives at that.

I scrunched up my nose in disdain then placed the can down next to me and stood. "Thank you, but no thank you" I said to the, now sweating, box-nosed man as I began to walk away. "But I would prefer **not **to drink poison."

As I stalked away I could feel Tonpa's glare on my back but I just sighed and raised my right hand, flipping him the middle finger and continued to stalk away.

Guess a nap was out of the question now that I knew people here really were desperate enough to try something.

I glanced down and watched my feet with a sigh. "Man~ this totally blows…This Exam better be damn well worth it."

Just as I looked up I crashed into something white and stumbled back, almost losing my balance. I glared at the person I walked into. It was a kid with a messy mop of white hair. He had skateboard tucked under one of his arms as he held an orange can in the other hand. He stared at me blankly for a moment before casually taking a sip of the drink, emptying the can.

I frowned, almost feeling sorry for the boy as he drunk the liquid laxative. Almost.

I narrowed my eyes at the kid, who didn't seem much older than me, when I didn't get an apology for running into me. "Watch where you're go-" I stopped talking when the albino boy saw something over my shoulder and simply stepped around me, continuing on his way.

My eyebrow twitched in frustration but I let it go, I didn't want to waste energy on a pointless fight over nothing.

"Hey, Tonpa-san!"

I glanced over my shoulder at the sound of a young voice calling out to box-nosed pig. The kid who had run into me was waving to a startled looking Tonpa.

"Could I have more of that juice of yours? Must be my nerves. I'm really thirsty." The kid scratched the back of his head, seemingly in embarrassment.

I cringed. Well that kid had successfully sealed his failure. There was no way in hell he was going to pass the Exam now. I turned and continued to walk away. Away from the box-nosed cheat and the doomed albino.

Before I could find another place to sit an odd sounding bell rang out through the area and everyone went quiet as a one of the walls that previously made the tunnel a dead end began to rise.

I smirked. 'Finally! Looks like the fun is about to begin.'

Standing behind the wall was a tall man with thin arms and legs and a purple do.

"Sorry for the wait." He began, glancing around at all the applicants. "The entry period for the Hunter Exam has ended. The Hunter Exam will now begin!"

Almost every single applicant in the tunnel straightened up in excitement, me being one of them.

"However, a final caution." The man stated, still staring blankly at the applicants. "If you are short on luck or ability, you can very well end up seriously injured or even dead. Those who accept the risks, please follow me. Otherwise, please exit via the elevator behind you."

There was a tense silence for a moment but no one left. I was practically bouncing on my heels in excitement, itching to get a move one. 'Like hell anyone is going to back out now!'

The man relaxed. "Very well. All 404 applicants will participate in Phase One." At this, the man turned and began to walk at a brisk pace, everyone following behind.

I was near the front but began to drop back, knowing me I would probably start wasting energy just to stay up front. When I thought I had gone back enough I had ended up directly behind a boy in green, man in a suit and a….boy? With blonde hair.

Suddenly the people in front began to run, the rest following their example while I simply just fast walked, slightly falling back some more.

I smirked in annoyance. I somehow knew this was going to be an endurance test. I sighed and put my hands behind my head, guess there was no helping it I suppose.

"I neglected to introduce myself." The man said coolly, "I am Statotz, the Phase One Examiner. I shall lead you to the Exam's Second Phase."

At this, people around me began to mumble. "Second Phase?" I heard someone call from the front. "What about Phase One?"

"It had already commenced." Statotz replied and I whined.

'I already guessed that but I secretly hoped I was wrong! I hate marathons!'

Statotz looked back at the buzzing applicants. "You must follow me to the Second Phase. This is the Exams First Phase."

I glowered at how simply he made it sound, seriously doubting that was all there was to it.

"However, I cannot tell you where or when we will arrive."

Sometimes, I really hated being right…

_**HunterXxXxxHunter**_

It had been around two hours since the beginning of the Exam and the crowd behind me had thinned out, quite a number of people having already dropped from exhaustion. I had begun to jog to keep up with the middle of the pack, not wanting to be left in the back and, though I hated to admit it, my legs had begun to ache slightly. I was more used to sprinting a short distance the consecutively traveling a long distance.

I pouted, there was no way in hell I was going to be one of the losers who dropped out in the First Phase!

Suddenly, I heard the sound or wheels approaching from behind and turned just in time to see the white haired kid from before come up beside me on his skateboard.

He glanced at me from the corner of his eye as I continued to stare at him with a frown.

"What?" He asked, turning his gaze to me fully, his voice holding nothing but boredom.

I raised an eyebrow. "How in the hell are you not shitting yourself right now?"

At first the boy looked slightly confused before smirking, realizing I was talking about the hidden laxative. "Oh." He shrugged nonchalantly, "Poisons don't effect me."

I stumbled slightly as he said that. When I caught my balance again I looked back up at him with my mouth wide open. The albino had an amused look on his face, his bright blue eyes alight with silent laughter.

"Holy-! That's awesome!" I yelled, attracting some attention from nearby applicants, though they turned away shortly after obviously not having enough energy to care.

The albino shrugged, going back to his bored expression. "Not really."

I pouted at his suddenly blank attitude. He wasn't very entertaining.

Suddenly, the albino pushed himself forward more on his skateboard, shooting ahead of me.

"Hey!" I yelled after him. "Where the hell do you think you're going, huh!?"

He turned back to me, and smug smirk on his face again. "To the front, you're welcome to join me if you want but I highly doubt you'll be able to keep up." And with that he turned back around and continued on.

I grit my teeth in agitation. 'Why that arrogant little-.' I suddenly leapt into the air and slammed the heels of my runners together. I heard the click at the bottom of my shoes opened and four wheels popped out of each shoe.

I landed back down on the ground with the sound of plastic hitting stone then a second later I was rocketing off to where the albino had gone, easily catching back up to him.

I smirked at his wide eyed expression as he realized I was effortlessly gliding along beside him. My smirk widened even more when he glanced down at my shoes, seeing the wheels now coming from the bottom.

"Cool." He drawled, back to his usual bored tone. I pouted at this.

I sighed and dug around in my hoodie pocket. I needed a hit. My hand brushed against a wrapper and I pulled it out. I opened up the wrapper and plucked the red ball from its wrapping, popping it in my mouth while I threw the wrapper behind me carelessly. I snickered when I heard someone complain about being hit in the face by trash.

I chewed on the sweet red ball in my mouth until it turned into the sweet and gooey substance I loved.

Bubble Gum.

I wrapped the gum around my tongue before puckering my lips and blowing a pink gum bubble. I popped it with a small crack then began to chew again. It wasn't until I blew the second bubble did I realize albino boy was staring at me.

I raised a brow at him and his eyes flickered to the still inflated gum bubble.

Oh.

He wanted gum.

I popped the bubble with a grin and searched around for another gumball in my pocket, finding one last one. I held it out to the blank faced albino but when he reached for it I snapped my hand back and out of his reach.

I snickered at his disgruntled face and wagged my finger at him.

"Uh, uh, uh. If you want this." I brandished the gumball at him. "You gotta tell me your name."

The boy blinked at me before opening his mouth. "Killua."

I grinned and threw the candy at him, Killua easily catching it.

"Killua, eh?" I said, testing the name out. It had a nice ring to it. "I'm Kuragi."

After that we continued on in silence, passing leisurely by people as we chewed our gum, me occasionally blowing bubbles before popping them with a crack.

It wasn't until we passed a group a while later did the silence get broken.

"Oi! Wait up you kids!"

"Hmm?" Killua hummed, turning around just as I did.

Behind us was the guy in the suit I had seen during the beginning of the First Phase. He had an angry look on his face as he stared at us.

"What?" I asked flatly as I stuck a pinkie in my ear, displeased with how loud he had been.

"You should show the Hunter Exam some respect!" He yelled at us again, making me scrunch up my face.

'The hell is he on about?'

Killua suddenly asked my unasked question. "What do you mean?"

"Why the hell are you using a skateboard and roller-skates!? That's cheating!"" The guy in the suit exclaimed, pointing an accusing finger at us.

"It's not polite to point~" I drawled, but he hadn't seemed to have heard me.

"Why?" Killua asked, clearly not getting the point. That only seemed to piss off the old man in the suit even more.

"Why..? This an endurance test!"

I rolled my eyes. I had thought that to, at first, but after mauling it over I had realized it really wasn't.

"No, it isn't." A voice piped up from behind the old man. Killua and I glanced back even more and I was surprised to see yet another kid taking the Hunter Exam. Though, I couldn't stop myself from giggling quietly at his outfit, he wore all green with a fishing rod strapped to his backpack and his black hair was spiked to a gravity defying angle.

This kid was wired.

The guy in the suit suddenly glared and started shouting at the boy. "Gon, what are you saying!?"

'Gon, huh? Odd name, kinda like it though."

The kid in green, Gon, shot a reply back to the guy in the suit. "The Examiner only told us to follow him."

He had a point, though the guy in the suit didn't think so.

"Whose side are you on, eh!?" He yelled again. I glared, his yelling was starting to get on my nerves.

Killua suddenly slowed his skateboard down, matching pace with Gon. I followed suit, not wanting to be left up front alone with the loud old man.

"Hey, how old of you?" Killua asked Gon all of a sudden.

"I'm Twelve years old!" Gon answered with a smile before turning to me. "Ne, how about you? How old are you?"

I was taken aback, not expecting for him to talk to me. Killua looked at me as well, curious.

"Eh? I'm Eleven, though I'll be twelve in a few months." I replied honestly, a little bummed he was older than me. I glanced at Killua, wondering how old he was.

Killua suddenly looked back at Gon with a hum before he kicked his skateboard into the air, catching it before his feet touched the ground but when they did Killua didn't even pause for a second before he was running again.

"Guess I'll run too." Killua drawled, unfazed by his own trick.

My eyes widened in amazement. I had to learn how to do that!

"Wow!" Gon exclaimed, "That was so cool!"

Suddenly Killua looked at me as I still rode along on my skates. He raised I brow at me, giving me a pointed look.

I sighed. "Fine~" I whined.

I jumped into the air and hit my heels together again, making the wheels retract back into my shoes. When I landed, I stumbled slightly and I winced as pain shot up my legs. Thankfully, no one had noticed.

"Amazing!" Gon exclaimed as he stared at me.

I grinned nervously and scratched the back of my head through my hood. "It was nothing, really!"

"I'm Killua." Killua suddenly pipped up, drawing the attention away from me for a moment. I silently thanked the white haired boy.

"I'm Gon!" The green clad boy chirped in response before looking at me with a grin.

Not feeling as awkward this time, I grinned back. "I'm Kuragi!" I sent Gon a thumbs up as I said it.

After that we all lapsed into a comfortable silence as we ran but I couldn't help noticing that the guy in the suit had begun to fall behind, sweating profusely. I frowned.

As I had suspected, it didn't take to long for Gon, Killua and I to hear a clatter behind up.

Gon and I turned at the same time, spotting the guy in the suit leaning against his knees as he panted heavily, his suitcase laying not too far behind him. Gon stopped and turned to the guy fully, I followed his example which made Killua stop as well and glance back at us.

The guy in the suit looked up, still panting as he looked directly into my and Gon's stares.

"Hey, forget him. Let's get going."

I sent Killua a glare for his comment, making him huff and turn away, stuffing a hand into his pocket. I followed the movement and rose an eyebrow. Normally, the action of shoving your hand in your pocket meant you felt nervous and wanted to hide. I shook my head at the thought, sure I had only known Killua for a short while but I already knew that he was arrogant and self-centred, he wouldn't be like that…probably.

I was broken out of my thoughts when a sudden blur rushed passed me, blowing my clothes and almost knocking my hood off but I caught it.

"I'M GONNA BECOME A HUNTER! GODAMNIT!"

I grinned and sent a thumbs up towards the retreating figure.

'Good on ya, Old man!'

I turned just in time to see Gon take out his Fishing rod and reel in the suit guy's forgotten suitcase.

"Cool~!" Killua and I exclaimed as we stared at Gon.

We began to run back towards the crowd of applicants so we wouldn't be left behind. Killua talking as we did so.

"Let me try that later."

Gon grinned. "Only if you let me try your skateboard, okay?"

I butted in. "Can I try to!"

"Sure" Gon replied, equally as enthusiastic as he was before. "But I gotta try your Roller-skates in return!"

I looked at Killua and he grinned at me. "Deal!" with both said at the same time.

_**HunterXxXxXHunter**_

I stared up in horror at the fast approaching obstacle. "You have got to be kidding me…" I whimpered.

Ahead of us was thousand off stairs. The mere sight of them making me gulp.

I had already started sweating by the time we reached the stairs and my legs were screaming loudly at me to just stop. It hurt so bad my arms were trembling in my effort to hide my pain. I clenched my fists and stuffed them in my hoodie pocket, trying to stop the shaking. I was glad the two boys hadn't noticed, especially since I had fallen behind them by a step or two.

On the way up we passed by the guy in the suit, no longer wearing his suit and a blonde boy who didn't seem to notice me. I also got the shock of my life when I learnt that suit guy was actually a teen. I was still going to call him old though, just for fun.

"Hey, Gon, Kuragi." Killua suddenly said, a mischievous smile on his face. "Wanna race to the top and see who finishes first?"

"Sure!" Gon replied instantly, "The loser has to buy dinner for the other two!" I intended to decline but….I guess my feminine pride got the better of me. That and…I was completely broke.

"Hell yeah!" I cried, fist bumping the air as I forced myself to keep pace with the boys.

"Alright! You're on!" Killua cried.

"Ready…go!" They both took off even faster and I just barely kept pace as my legs started to feel numb and lose feeling….though I could still feel the pain.

We were about ¾ up the stairs by now and I was starting to fall behind the two boys.

"I'm impressed you can keep up with me." Killua suddenly said. I kept my mouth shut, not wanting to correct him. "Or maybe it's just that everyone else is slow."

I rolled my eyes at that comment but went back to focusing on running after I almost lost my footing and tripped.

"Man…The Hunter Exam it way easier than I thought, this is gonna be a breeze."

'Speak for yourself, Killua' I groaned in my head.

"Hey, why do you want to become a Hunter?" Gon suddenly asked and my head shot up.

"Me?" Killua asked before continuing. "I'm not really interested in becoming a hunter. I heard the Exam was supposed to be really hard, so I thought it'd be fun but this is disappointing"

Anger coursed through me and I narrowed my eyes at the back off Killua's head.

"What about you?" Killua asked Gon, which quelled my anger slightly.

We all moved out of the way of an applicant's body on the stairs before Gon answered.

"Well my Dad's a hunter so I want to become a hunter like my Dad!" Gon replied happily.

Killua hummed before asking another question. "What type of hunter is he?"

I was interested by this as well but what Gon said next made me stumble in surprise.

"I don't know."

Killua cracked up laughing at this which made me crack a smile. It was kind of funny.

"That's kinda weird." I agreed whole heartedly with Killua on that. "You want to be like your Dad but you don't know anything about him?"

"Hm. I was raised by Mito-san, so I've only seen my Dad in pictures." Gon said randomly.

"Mito-san?" Killua clearly had no idea who that was and neither did I.

"Aunt Mito." Gon said, clearing things up for us. "When my Dad was Twelve he took the Hunter Exam. He passed and became a Hunter. Then he left the Island." Gon laughed slightly. "I want to find out why he chose to be a Hunter over being with me."

I couldn't stop smiling when he said that in a happy way. This boy was nothing but positive.

Suddenly Gon's head shot up as he realized something. "AH! What about you Kuragi!?'

I blinked in shock for a moment before my eyes narrowed and hardened as I looked down at my feet. "I want to become stronger…"

"THE EXIT!" Someone suddenly yelled and I looked up with wide eyes as relief coursed through my tired bones. I was never so happy to see the light of day.

Suddenly, Gon and Killua took off sprinting and I just barely stayed a few paces behind them, I swear I was going to collapse any second. I saw Statotz pause to look behind him but before he got the chance Killua and Gon shot right past him, both of them yelling in victory. I made it there a few seconds after but as soon as I stopped my legs gave out and I fell to the floor, panting and sweeting, trembling with the effort to keep my body upright. I couldn't even feel my legs anymore. As I took in big gulps of air I accidently swallowed my gum making me choke briefly.

I could hear Gon and Killua arguing over who won but I really didn't care, my vision was going a little dark around the edges and that's when I knew I had pushed myself too far.

"Hey, Statotz-san! Which one of us made it first?" I heard Gon suddenly ask the Examiner which stood in front of me, probably unintentionally blocking me from view.

"I believe you both crossed the finish line simultaneously…" Statotz answered.

"Oh…" Gon sighed, sounding a little glum.

"However." Statotz butted in, "I believe there is a more pressing matter. It appears your friend is at her limit." With that, Statotz stepped to the side, revealing me to Gon and Killua.

I looked up and saw the blurred faces of Gon and Killua. Gon's was full of concern, worry and a little guilt while Killua's eyes had widened a fraction and he was frowning, looking a little guilty as well. They both rushed up to me and Gon kneeled down in front of me, looking frantic.

"What's wrong, Kuragi!?" Gon asked franticly.

"Can't…Move…Legs…Went…Too…Far…" I panted out, still just barely keeping myself upright with my shaking arms. I looked down at the ground and closed my eyes, trying to stop the world from spinning.

"Gon, hold this." I suddenly heard Killua say then I heard the scrap of dirt in front of me.

"Oh! Good idea, Killua" Gon chirped, sounding happy.

"Oi."

I ignored Killua, trying to regain my sense of feeling in my legs but they still didn't move.

"Kuragi." Killua's tone was slightly more forceful this time. I opened my eyes slowly and looked up at the blurry Killua in front of me. He was crouched on the ground in front of me, his back to me and his arms held behind his back as he looked at me over his shoulder.

"Get on." His voice still sounded bored but I slight edge to it gave me no room to argue, I didn't have the energy to anyway.

I crawled forward using my arms then slowly tried to position myself onto Killua's back. When I had gotten my upper body positioned and my arms around his neck, he stood, wrapping my legs around his waist for me.

"Thank you…" I mumbled quietly as I looked down, disappointed in myself, at having to get help.

Killua didn't reply, he only walked to stand next to Gon, who sent me a cheery smile which I returned weakly, only then noticing that Gon had Killua's skateboard strapped to his backpack as well as his fishing rod. A number of other applicants were already up here as well, panting and wheezing.

I glanced around our surroundings but couldn't make out anything past the thick fog. Suddenly I heard a familiar sound of panting and turned to look and the guy in the suit stumbled to the top of the stair then collapsed in a panting mess. I smiled, glad he had made it.

I saw a blonde boy come up right after, not as bad as him but still panting. I recognized him as the boy who had been with them when I had first seen them during the beginning of the phase, except he was missing his blue poncho.

The blonde spotted us and walked over, casting a glance at me before turning to Gon.

"Hey, Kurapika!" Gon said, smiling.

The blonde, Kurapika?, smiled and waved. "Is this our destination?" Kurapika asked.

"Nope." Gon replied.

"I see." Kurapika huffed before turning to look at me. "And who is this."

"Oh!" Gon jumped up, "This is our friend,-"

"Kuragi." I croaked giving him a polite smile.

"Kurapika." The blonde, confirming his name and returning my smile. "Are you alright?"

"I'm fine….tired…" With that said I tiredly laid my chin on Killua's shoulder. I felt him stiffen and immediately pulled back, quietly apologising.

Killua shook his head. "No, it's okay."

"You know our friend, Leorio, is a Doctor so he can take a look at you just in case." Kurapika said, politely butting in.

I flinched at the word Doctor and held on tighter to Killua. "No….Thank you. I'm fine."

'Well, now I know the old man's name at least.'

Kurapika's eyes suddenly widened as he looked around. "The fog is fading."

I glanced up and realized he was right. As the fog cleared I realized we were in a swamp.

Suddenly, Statotz started talking again. "The Numere Wetlands, also known as Swindlers' Swamp…" I shuddered at the name, not liking this place already.

"We must cross these Wetlands to reach Phase Two of the Exam. This place is home to many bizarre animals, many of them being cunning and insatiable creatures who deceive humans and prey upon them."

I shuddered and tightened my hold on Killua more, my eyes darting around for any sign on none human life.

Statotz continued. "Be very careful." Statotz turned to look at all of us. "If you let them fool you…you're dead."

I tensed and let out a ragged breath as everyone around me began to sweat and second guess themselves.

Killua looked at me over his shoulder and raised a brow. "I seriously doubt anything would be dumb enough to try and attack you while you're with me and Gon."

I smiled at Killua's attempt at making me calm down. "Thanks, you're probably right." As I relaxed Killua turned back around.

I whipped my head around when I heard the sound of screeching metal and saw that the entrance to the tunnel was closing, leaving some poor sap that just made it to the top behind. I gulped, no turning back now…

"These Wetland creatures will use every trick in the book to fool their prey." Statotz again began to explain the Wetlands to us, I was eternally grateful for it. "An ecosystem in which creatures obtain food through deceit…Hence the name Swindlers Swamp." Statotz turned his back to us. "Stay very close to me so you won't be deceived."

Everyone tensed, getting ready.

"What a joke." Leorio scoffed. "How can they fool us when we're expecting it?"

"DON'T LET HIM FOOL YOU!"

I jumped at the sudden shout and clung to Killua.

I looked where everyone else was and spotted someone peering at us from beside the entrance to the tunnel. His face was all beaten and bloody. My eyes widened, was this a trick or…

"D-Don't fall for it…" The man had come further out of the shadows of the entrance, being clearly seen by everyone now. "He's lying to you!" The man pointed to Statotz as he said this and I froze.

'What?'

"He's an imposter!" The unknown man continued. "He isn't an examiner…I'm the real examiner."

I tensed, my eyes darting back and forth between the man and Statotz as I tried to figure out who was the real one but then I realized something. Gon and Killua weren't freaking out. That meant Statotz was the real examiner, right?

"Look at this!" The unknown man begun to drag something into our view, I soon as I saw it my eyes widened and I felt sick. Laying on the ground was something that scarily resembled Statotz.

I suddenly felt a slight pressure on my thighs and looked down. Killua was squeezing them lightly, almost reassuringly. I relaxed, understanding Killua's silent message. 'This man was the fake, not Statotz. I should calm down.'

I began to grin as I realized I was getting the feeling back in my legs. That means I might not have to burden Killua all the way through the Wetlands.

I snapped out of my thoughts as something whizzed by my cheek, just missing me by and inch, and slammed into the unknown man. They were cards…three regular playing cards.

I looked on, wide eyed and shocked. 'What the hell just happened?'

I looked behind me at the sound of someone shuffling a deck. I spotted the creepy clown I had been keeping a firm distance away from since I had arrived in the tunnel. I didn't like him. He had this killing intent surrounding him 24/7.

The clown chuckled as he continued to shuffle his deck of cards. "I see, I see…" He hummed, unaffected by the amount of attention on him. "That settles it…" He looked right at Statotz. "You're the real one."

I relaxed completely when the clown said those words. 'Thank god,'

Statotz casually threw the cards he had in his hand to the ground as he stared at the clown.

"Examiners are Hunters…" The clown said calmly. "Selected by the Committee to do this duty without pay. Any Hunter, bearing the title we seek, would have been able to block that attack."

"I shall take that as a compliment." Statotz said before evenly staring at him. "However, should you attack me again, for any reason, I will report you for attacking an Examiner and you will be immediately disqualified. Are we clear?"

The air was thick with tension as everyone waited for the clown to reply. When he finally answered it was a simple. "Sure."

Suddenly, there was a loud piercing shriek of a Vulture and in the blink of an eye four of said creatures had begun to attack the corpse of the imposter 'examiner.' I looked away and dimly hear someone say that nature was brutal. I numbly nodded in agreement.

_**HunterXxXxXHunter**_

Awhile after we had started the second half of the First Phase; Gon, Killua and I found ourselves alone in the fog after we had agreed to move up when Killua had mention Hisoka, who I learned was the clown, was emitting a dangerous aura.

Suddenly, Gon spoke up. "I hear people screaming all around us…"

I nodded slightly in agreement, I had been hearing the faint screams myself.

Killua continued to look ahead as he replied. "Just keep your guards up."

"I wonder if Leorio and Kurapika are okay."

At the mention on the two other friends I frowned, hoping they were alright.

Suddenly, both boys came to a sudden halt. I looked around in confusion before looking at them.

"Wha-?" Suddenly the ground underneath their feet gave way and we fell into a slimy and squishy abyss. I shrieked as I fell, trying to hold onto Killua but the slime that had coated me was making it hard. Were we in something's stomach!?

I suddenly felt an arm wrap around my waist then there was an odd hissing sound before the sound of something being poured out. "What-?"

"Hold on tight." Killua suddenly said, cutting me off. I immediately tightened my hold on his neck and waited for something to happen. Suddenly, everything began to rumble and I heard a sound akin to a churning stomach. My stomach dropped and I gaped.

'Oh, don't tell me…'

A sudden rush of warm and lumpy liquid engulfed me and Killua, forcing us up and out of whatever monster we had been inside of. I shut my eyes and clamped my mouth shut, praying to god I didn't get any in my mouth.

I heard Gon grunt as we all landed in a puddle of monster puke. I shuddered in disgust as I opened my eyes. I gagged at the putrid smell of the puddle we sat in. I looked at Killua, whose lap I sat in and smiled sheepishly.

"Laxatives?"

Killua smirked at me in response. I took that as a yes.

"Guess he didn't like the taste of us." Gon suddenly chirped as he sat up in the gross puddle. I rolled my eyes and cracked a smile at the naïve boy.

"Nope." I said, popping the 'p'.

"It was this." Killua clarified, holding up an empty orange can. I scrunched up my nose at the can, even though it was empty I wanted to keep it as far away from me as I could.

"Oh!" Gon exclaimed in realization. "That's from Tonpa-san. Guess he saved us"

I cringed at the mention of the pig-faced asshole's name. I felt like pouring a can of his own juice down his throat and see how he liked it, even though it was said juice that saved us from the slimy pit of a monster's stomach as Gon had said.

"Well, I could have escaped." Killua said haughtily, tossing the can behind him. As he stood, he pulled me up with him, making me realize he still had an arm wrapped around my waist. I blushed slightly in embarrassment but stopped what I realized Killua was waiting for me to climb onto his back again. I sighed and climbed back onto his back, wrapping me arms around his neck as he again hoisted up my legs.

"I'm still worried about Leorio and Kurapika." Gon suddenly said, as he, too stood.

"Forget about them." Killua said as he turned and began to walk off. "Let's get a move on. We can still catch up to the examiner."

I glanced at the fog around us with a frown, hoping he was right about that.

Killua broke into a light jog as Gon began to follow behind. I tightened my grip around Killua as I began to slip slightly.

It wasn't too long until we saw a large group of runners in front of us through the fog, making me sigh in relief. We made it.

"We caught up to the main group, Gon." Killua said, turning to look back at the green boy as did I. However, both of our eyes widened when we did see heads nor tails of him. He had disappeared.

I groaned. "That idiot better not get himself killed."

Killua sighed as he turned back around and began to follow the group, most likely agreeing with me.

_**HunterXxXxXHunter**_

Killua and I had arrived at what I assumed was the sight of the Second Phase not too long ago. Killua had put me down in front of a tree before sitting down beside me, both of us waiting for Gon to make it here, we had faith.

I stared at my legs and frowned my brows, trying to get them to move. I had regained the feeling in them, which came with some pain, and they would twitch each time I tried to move them but I still doubted I would be able to walk.

Killua suddenly tensed next to me and my head automatically looked up, looking around in search for Gon. However, all I saw was a smirking Hisoka looming over me and Killua, an unconscious and beaten Leorio slung over his shoulder. Killua shot up, glaring at Hisoka as he moved in front of me. I was relieved at that because there was no way in hell I could take this clown on, moving legs or otherwise.

Hisoka's smirk widened before he simply dropped Leorio down next to me, the unconscious man slumping against the tree trunk. With that done, Hisoka casually strolled away. I narrowed my eyes at the back of his head, wondering if he had done something to Gon.

I turned my head and looked at Leorio in worry. Was he dead?

"Don't worry. He's not dead." I looked up at Killua, whom had spoken, as he casually had his hands behind his head.

I nodded, looking back down at my feet. "Hey, Killua…." I mumbled awkwardly, starting to fidget with my fingers.

"Hmm?" Killua hummed in acknowledgment, watching the forest for any signs of Gon.

"Uh…" I blushed out of embarrassment and looked to the side, scratching my cheek to distract myself. "Th-Thanks….you know, for carrying me here?"

I glanced up and saw Killua looking down at me, a bit wide eyed before he smirked and shoved his hands into his pockets. "You're welcome~ though, you owe me now! You're heavy you know."

I pouted and glared a Killua. So much for him being nice.

"Screw you." I huffed, crossing my arms as I turned away from him in annoyance.

"Aren't you a little too young, or am I just that irresistible?" I could hear the smirk in his voice as he said this.

My face flamed and I tumbled over my own words. "I- huh- wha- you- I didn't- You perverted jackass!"

I turned to glare heatedly at Killua only to find that he was gone, probably to go wait for Gon. I turned my glare back to my feet, my face still flaming, and huffed.

"Stupid albino asshole…" I muttered bitterly.

Suddenly I heard the sound of shuffling and a groan next to me. I turned and blinked owlishly at Leorio, who seemed to have regained consciousness.

Leorio looked around in a daze before spotting me and blinking. "Oh…Kuragi…"

I opened my mouth to ask him what happened when a familiar voice sounded to my right.

"Leorio!"

I sighed in relief when I saw Gon and Kurapika jogging over, both in a good condition.

Gon placed down Leorio's briefcase as Kurapika nodded politely to me. I smiled and waved at the blonde before turning to Gon and knocking him upside the head.

Gon fell back and held his head. "Ow!"

I glared at the boy, my fist still raised threateningly. "What the hell did you think you were doing, Idiot!? Why the hell did you run off alone!?"

I punched his arm once. "Stupid!" Then hit him again. "Fool!"

Gon winced and looked at me with sad eyes. "S-Sorry, Kuragi! I had to go, Leorio and Kurapika were in trouble!"

I softened at the sad look he gave me and lowered my fist, shaking my head. "It's alright. I overreacted, you had me worried is all."

I sent Gon a grin, which he returned. I narrowed my gaze and warned threateningly. "However, if you do that again I will personally hunt you down and kill you myself, got it!?"

Gon nodded hurriedly. I smiled.

"Good."

"Man, that stings…" Leorio suddenly groaned, holding his swollen cheek tenderly. "Why am I all beat up? My memory's all hazy"

I saw Kurapika lean down and whisper something into Gon's ear, who in turn nodded in agreement to whatever he had said.

"Gon!"

My eyes narrowed and I glared at the approaching albino, my cheeks flaming all over again as what he said repeated in my mind.

"Killua!" Gon exclaimed, happy to see the aggravating boy.

"I can't believe you actually made it here…I thought you were done for." At the end of his sentence he came to stand before Gon, briefly sending me a mocking glance and a smirk.

"I just tracked Leorio's cologne."

I blanched at Gon's words, staring at the boy like he was insane. Killua seemed taken aback as well.

"Cologne? That was how? You definitely are weird."

Before Gon had the chance to reply, Statotz spoke up. "Excellent work, everyone. Phase Two of the Exam will occur here, at the Biska Forest Park. So I shall take my leave. Best of luck to all of you."

I didn't even watch Statotz go, I was still staring at Gon, wondering if he was secretly a dog. I grinned at my own ridiculous thought.

**Oh my god…..I am dying….This is the longest chapter I have written in my life!**

**I'm planning on updating tomorrow but I'm not sure. I want some feedback on my OC before I post anymore, just to make sure this story isn't a lost cause.**


	2. I X Hate X Cooking!

**Wow, I didn't really expect this much feedback in one day! Thanks guys!**

**.**

**RESPONSE TO **_**SoulXHunter:**_

**Oh, heehee, sorry about not describing her sooner. I've been trying to find an appropriate place to put it in instead of just forcing in a description. I'll try to fit it in this chapter! If I can't find a place to put it in the chapter itself I'll just add her description in the Authors note down the bottom. **

**Oh, yeah, she kind of sounds like an Enhancer the way you put it, I'm glad you like her! I put a lot of thought into her. I'm trying to find a unique but not over the top way to describe her as well.**

**Here's an update for you! Sorry it wasn't on the day I promised it would be!**

**.**

**RESPONSE TO **_**kri**_**:**

**Well thank you! Though I wouldn't say I write like a God, heehee. Oh yeah, there is totally going to be some fluff here and there.**

**.**

**RESPONSE TO **_**Ileinko:**_

**Phew, that's good to know. I'm always panicking about whether or not my OC is Mary-sue. I was going for more of a normal person with weaknesses so it's good to know that's how she came across. Hmmm, that is true, though she does have a hidden skill she will most likely reveal in the Trick Tower so she still has a chance, even though she lacks physical strength and a great deal of stamina. The reason she came to the Hunter Exam in the first place was to get stronger. Oh, and I made Killua that cute intentionally, I couldn't help myself!**

**.**

**RESPONSE TO **_**KagamineBanana:**_

**Leave my Killu alone! :(**

**.**

**I DO NOT OWN HUNTER X HUNTER, 1999 version or 2011**

_/2/ I X Hate X PORK!_

I snapped out of my staring when the ground beneath me began to rumble. I glanced around and noticed the doors that had been previously closed were opening slowly, giving a feeling of suspense.

Everyone was tense as they watched the doors open, waiting for something challenging to be thrown at them.

I stood up on my shaking legs slowly, using the tree behind me a crutch just in case my legs gave out. Fortunately, my legs seemed to have recovered enough for me to stand on my own. I took a slow step forward and winced slightly. My legs shook and my calves still stung but I would be able to handle it as long as the Second Phase didn't involve running as well.

I frowned and shoved my hands into my hoodie pocket as I stepped up beside Killua, watching as the doors opened completely.

"Will all applicants who passed the First Phase please enter?" A female voice called us forth.

Everyone moved to pill into the area and as I passed through the doorway I gaped in surprise. On either side of the pathway that lead through the park were a number of pristine cookery stations, though, I didn't really pay attention to them as I gapped at the two people sitting at the end of the path.

Sitting on an expensive looking leather couch was a scantily dressed woman with and odd blue hairdo. She had her legs crossed casually as she grinned at the applicants with anticipation.

The other was a giant of a man in an ill-fitting yellow shirt. He sat behind the couch which wasn't even half his size.

"Welcome." The woman chimed once everyone had entered the park. "I'm Menchi, the Second Phase Examiner."

"And I am Buhara, the other examiner." The Large man finished, his voice not sounding at all what I had expected it to.

The whole park was silent as everyone stared at the odd pair. I think I was the only one grinning with anticipation. There was no way this Phase could involve run-

GLRRRRRRRRRRRRGH.

I cringed and stepped back at the odd sound that was akin to a lion growling, it seemed to have come from Buhara.

"Wh-What was that sound?" One of the applicants stuttered, sounding as shocked and confused as I was.

"Was that his stomach…." I whispered nervously, instinctively moving behind Killua some. If he was planning to eat us, I was planned on pushing Killua forward as a sacrifice.

'Snide little perv' deserves it.'

Menchi turned and faced Buhara, whom looked to be in pain. "You must be hungry." She stated casually.

"I'm starving…" Buhara groaned.

Menchi turned back to us and stood. "There you have it. Phase Two will involve…"

There was a tense pause.

I tensed and prepared to shove Killua forward. 'I knew it, they're going to eat us! Like hell I'm going to be someone's dinner!'

"Cooking!"

I blanched and stumbled back.

"What? C-Cooking!?" I gasped, unable to comprehend the odd request. This was the Hunter Exam! Shouldn't it be something like a fight to the death and whomever died in the first ten minutes would be fed to the giant man!?

'Actually…Now that I think about it, maybe it's a good thing that isn't what the Phase involves…' I laughed nervously at my own thought.

"Wait! Cooking?" A heavyset man in from of me grumbled, clearly not liking the idea of cooking. "We're here to take the Hunter Exam!"

'I swear, if this bloated idiot makes this Phase difficult for us I'll personally kick his ass!' Well…I wouldn't do it literally but I sure as hell would try!

"That's quite right." Menchi stated with a grin, seemingly unperturbed by the man's rude comment. "Your challenge for the Second Phase is to produce a dish that will satisfy our palates."

"Why do we have to cook!?" The same man grunted again, still unimpressed.

"That's because…We are Gourmet Hunters!" Menchi exclaimed in excitement, her and Buhara clearly proud of their job.

"Whoa…" I breathed. "Maybe I should aim to be a Gourmet Hunter!" Their job didn't sound too bad, especially if it involved deserts!

I drooled at the thought of all the exotic deserts I might be able to try while Killua gave me an odd look over his shoulder. I just stuck my tongue out at him, making him scoff and turn back around.

Suddenly, everyone, aside from me and the gang, busted out laughing. I frowned at everyone for their stupidity. They were Gourmet HUNTERS meaning there had to be some sort of danger to their job, they had no right to mock it!

I saw Menchi narrow her eyes at everyone before sighing and immediately knew she was going to make this exam more difficult than it was originally going to be. I hated everyone right then and there.

"So, Gourmet Hunters, what are we supposed to make?" The heavyset guy said, obviously mocking the two Examiners.

"Buhara." Menchi stated in annoyance.

Buhara stood and grinned at the applicants. "The required ingredient is pork!"

I smirked. 'Yes! Something I can do!' I loved pork, I loved meat in general but it would always come second to sweets.

"Pork? As in pig meat!?"

"OF COURSE IT IS, IDIOT!" I yelled, not being able to take the other applicants' ignorance anymore. "WHAT ELSE WOULD PORK B-"

A hand was suddenly slammed over my mouth to shut me up and my eyes widened at the realization of what I had done. All the other applicants were staring- no- glaring at me, making me shrink back at all the killer intent being sent my way.

My nervous laugh was muffled by the hand still clamped over my mouth. I followed the limb to its owner and found Killua sending me a look that clearly told me to shut up. I gulped at his look and took his hand away from my mouth.

"Eheehee…sorry?" I mumbled and sent him a sheepish grin only to be ignored as he turned away from me. I looked back up at Menchi and noticed she and Buhara were sending me amused looks. I waved my hand at them nervously, gesturing for Buhara to continue.

"You're free to use any species of Biska Forest pigs." Buhara continued.

I sighed in relief when the attention was directed back at him.

"You must use the cooking facilities here to prepare the pork and you only pass if we both find it delicious." Buhara finished, letting Menchi speak up.

"And we will evaluate more than just the taste. Don't underestimate the intricacies of cooking, got it?"

I nodded, even though Menchi wasn't looking my way. It was at that moment I realized I should never underestimate the Hunter Exam. Any test, no matter how simple it may seem, could be ridiculously hard.

"When we've both eaten our fill the Exam will end."

I gulped, now we only had a limited amount of tries.

"The Exam's Second Phase!" Buhara exclaimed, raising his hand. "Begins now!"

I winced at the thunderous sound as Buhara used is stomach as a gong but I didn't have time to stop and think as I was suddenly pulled along.

"Come on."

I looked at Killua, who was pulling me along as he followed Gon and everyone else into the forest, realizing I hadn't let go of his hand and blushed.

We marched through the forest for a while, looking for any sort of pig but none were in sight. I followed behind Killua quietly as he had yet to let go of my hand.

"Catch a pig and cook it." Leorio scoffed from beside me. "This is way easier than the First Phase."

I couldn't agree with him more. However, even though it was easier didn't mean we were more likely to pass.

Suddenly, Gon stopped and sniffed before leaping and sliding down a hill. "Eh? Gon?"

I saw Killua's face brighten and my heart stopped. Before I had a chance to let go of his hand, Killua ran over and slid down the hill as well, dragging me down with him as he whooped in joy.

On the way down he let go of my hand and I pouted, missing the warmth. But it was seconds later that I collided face first into Killua's back, my nose throbbing. Then one after another, Kurapika and Leorio slammed into my back.

"Gah!" I yelled, pain shooting through my spine.

"What the hell, Gon!?/What was that about, Gon!?" Killua and I yelled at the spikey haired boy.

Gon ignored us and instead looked off to the side. When I followed his gaze my blood ran cold.

There was a whole horde of giant wild pigs of to the side. The size of them made them scary enough but the bones they were chewing on made them down right terrifying.

"Pigs!" Leorio exclaimed, sounding happy. "Uh…Hold on, they're chewing on bones…."

"Don't tell me they're carnivores?" Kurapika said nervously.

I shuddered at one of the pigs suddenly zeroed in on us, the bone in his mouth snapping in a threatening way.

"RUN!" I screamed, leaping to my feet and making a break for it as the pig screeched loudly and attracted his porky brethren's' attention.

The group suddenly zoomed past me and I panicked when I glanced behind me and noticed the stampede was drawing closer to me. So much for this part of the Exam not involving running!

"You're too slow!" Killua yelled as he appeared at my side and picked me up before taking off again.

As we came over a hill I spotted the other applicant staring at us and the wild pigs behind us, blankly.

"MOVE YOU IDIOTS!" I yelled as we dashed right past them.

I looked over Killua's shoulder and saw some of the applicants get flung into the air.

'Idiots…'

We split up as we continued to run from the horde but the horde split us as well, two continuing to follow Killua and me. I saw everyone else trying to take out the pigs but they were all failing, not even ninja stars seeming to work on them.

Just as I was giving up hope I saw Gon lead one into a tree, it seemed fine but when apples rained down on its head making it stumble and fall, letting out a whine.

My eyes widened in realization. "Ah! Killua! The foreheads! Try the foreheads!" I yelled, not even caring that I had given up to secret to defeating the pigs to everyone else. We needed to get rid of these pigs, NOW.

Killua glanced down at me blankly before smirking and leaping up high into the air.

I screamed and clung onto Killua tightly as we began to descend. Killua's foot slammed into the first pigs forehead, making it crumple to the ground, before he leapt up again and kicked the other one and bringing it down as well.

When we landed safely on the ground I pried my fingers off of Killua's shirt and stared at him wide eyed as he smirked down at me.

"You can put me do-oof!" Before I even had a chance to finish my sentence I was rudely dropped on the ground. I glared up at Killua, rubbing my sore behind, as he casually stepped over me and walked up to the pig, picking it up effortlessly.

I gaped at his back in amazement.' He must have been damn strong to carry a pig three times his size or maybe the pig was lighter than it looked. I was desperately hoping for the latter. I had absolutely no muscle strength.

I stood up, my legs surprisingly no longer aching, and walked over to the pig. I nervously nudged it with my foot to make sure it was dead and sighed in relief when it didn't move. I bent down and attempted to lift the pig.

It didn't even move and inch.

I tried again, putting all of my strength into it as I tried lifting with my knees.

Still didn't budge.

My grip slipped and I landed on my ass with a thud, panting.

I looked up shyly and spotted Killua a little ways away. I cleared my throat nervously.

"Uhm….Killua?" I called out to the albino, said boy turning around and raising an eyebrow at my position on the ground. "Un…Could you…carry this for me..?"

My nervous smile faltered when Killua just blinked at me.

"Please…?" I pleaded weakly. There was no way in hell I could get this pig back to the park on my own.

Killua must have seen the desperate look in my eyes because next thing I knew he had hurled my pig into the air and stacked it neatly on top of his.

I was gob smacked as Killua casually walked away with a hand in his pocket, still seemingly unaffected by the weight of the large pigs.

"I-Is he even human…?" I stuttered nervously before smacking my cheeks lightly. "No time for that!"

I stood quickly and jogged to catch up to Killua, awkwardly walking beside him in silence.

By the time we made it back, most other applicants had begun to cook their pigs on spits. Killua walked up to two unoccupied cookeries and plopped down a pig on each bench before beginning to work on his own.

I walked up to the bench and grabbed a large knife. I glanced at my reflection cast on the blade and cringed. From what I could see of my red hair it was windblown mess from all the running and the bags under my eyes made me look as exhausted as I felt. My Panda hoodie was covered in dirt and dried Frog Puke along with my boots and leggings. I shuddered in disgust and moved my fringe out of one of my eyes, revealing a light shade of blue. I liked my eyes. One was blue while the other was green, from what I had seen in pictures I had got them from my Mom.

I snapped myself out of my thoughts and glanced back at the pig with a gulp, hesitating before plunging the knife into the pigs gut with a cringe.

This was sooooo gross.

**HunterXxXxXHunter**

Every single applicant that had presented their dish to Menchi had been failed miserably, Menchi getting more annoyed with each applicant failed, though I couldn't say I was surprised, none of them had put in any effort at all.

I stopped rotating my pig and glanced at it. It looked around cooked but I couldn't be sure. I sliced off a bit of a good chunk of meat then cut that in half and tried it. I grin broke out on my face as the pork melted in my mouth. Definitely done!

I narrowed my eyes. 'However…'

Just because it tasted perfect to me didn't mean it would taste good to everyone else. I glanced at Killua who was hanging out with a recently failed Gon. I grabbed two more pieces of meat and walked over to the boy with a smile.

"Hey!" I called, catching their attention. I held the bits of meat out to the boy. "Try this for me will you? I'm not quite sure if it's ready."

Gon and Killua each grabbed a bit of meat before taking a bite. Gon suddenly beamed at me.

"Wow! This is amazing, Kura!" He exclaimed, his eyes sparkling.

I felt my confidence get a sudden boost at that. "R-Really?" I looked at Killua only to see him staring back at me, still chewing.

Once he swallowed he hummed and put a finger to his chin in thought. "Yeah…It's good."

That was enough encouragement for me. I took of back to my bench and began to cut up the pig. It had taken a long time for it to cook since I had decided to cook it on a low flame so the meat wouldn't dry out. I plated out two plates, one larger than the other, with pork slices and some crackling with a mixture of vegetables on the side. I seasoned the dish before picking them up, struggling slightly with the larger plate.

By the time I got to Menchi, Kurapika had already been failed. I was the last one. However, before I could place my plate down in front of Menchi and Buhara they both stated they were stuffed and that nobody passed. I froze, my eye twitching frantically.

After I spent so much time on this….they weren't even going to try it!?

I opened my mouth to protest and demand they try my dish but Menchi cut me off as she stood.

"We're finished here!"

I grit my teeth as everyone mumbled and whined in disbelief.

"Why you…" I growled, gritting my teeth. Sure, I had liked the idea of her job at first but if her job amounted in her turning into a picky bitch, screw being a Gourmet Hunter!

There was a crash behind me but I didn't bother to turn around. It was the heavyset guy making trouble again from the sound of it.

"This isn't funny!" He yelled. "I won't accept this! I absolutely refuse to accept this!"

'You and both.'

Menchi's eyes narrowed at, who I assumed, was the heavyset guy. "In the end, you've still failed."

I glared at Menchi, who didn't seem to notice I was even there.

"Stop screwing around. You asked for pork so we risked our live to-"

Menchi cut the guy off.

"I said to prepare pork in a manner we both found delicious! None of you made anything remotely delicious!" At this, Buhara's gaze flickered to me and my dish before he frowned at Menchi. "You all did the same thing. There was no effort made!"

Again, Buhara sent I glance my way and I grit my teeth so hard I swear I may have chipped one.

"Just when I thought someone tried, they only changed the appearance! No attempted to emphasize the flavour. I'm positive that none of you took cooking seriously!"

I'd had more than enough at that point. I gripped the plates tightly and raised them up. I was just about to throw them to the ground when two giant hands caught my arms. I glanced up at Buhara inn surprise, the giant man was sending me a smile.

"Save it for later." He advised, "When Menchi it's angry."

I nodded dumbly, hearing Menchi yelling at an applicant. "O-Okay….What about you?"

Buhara hummed. "No thanks, I really am stuffed." He patted his large belly to emphasise the point. "And besides, I think your friends would enjoy it more!"

I looked at where Buhara pointed and spotted Gon, Kurapika, Killua and Leorio, all to enthralled by Menchi yelling at applicant #294 to notice me by Buhara. I turned back to the giant and smiled. "Thank you, Buhara!"

Buhara smiled back. "Anytime! I can tell you have the potential to be a great cook, you'd make a good housewife!"

I blushed at the comment.

'A-A housewife!?'

Menchi suddenly pushed past me, sitting back on the couch casually and calm enough not to yell at the applicants. "In other words, you people don't have the guts to try anything new."

I bristled at her comment but then remembered Buhara's words. I reminded myself that she was just frustrated and angry.

"Shut up!"

'Jesus! This guy doesn't know when to stop, does he!?' I turned at glared down at the heavyset guy, whose tag read #255. He seemed to be the cause of all our problems.

"I'm not trying to be a cook or Gourmet! I want to be a Hunter!" At #255's words everyone seemed to rile up, throwing their fists into the air and yelling in agreement. I was glad to see Killua, Gon, Kurapika and Leorio weren't apart of them cause I swear if Buhara had told me to save them, these dishes would have gone flying into the faces of some of the applicants.

"I aim to become a Blacklist Hunter! I refuse to let a mere Gourmet Hunter decide my fate!"

"Too bad you got stuck with a mere Gourmet Hunter as an Examiner…Better luck next year?" Menchi shot back, mocking #255.

That shot the man over the edge and into a rage. His faced turned red in anger as he charged at Menchi, fist raised.

I flinched back, scared of the enraged man, only for a large fist to come flying past me moments later, my hood being brushed slightly. When the fist collided with #255 he was sent flying and into the wall, falling to the ground in a heap.

I stared with wide eyes in shock at Buhara, who had moved to stand beside Menchi, obviously the one who had sent the guy flying. Speaking of which, I would be surprised if #255 was still alive after that.

"Buhara…" Menchi muttered calmly, as if someone hadn't just been sent flying. "Don't interfere."

Buhara looked back at Menchi with an odd expression. "Well…If I hadn't interfered you'd have killed him…right?"

I turned to Menchi in shock. I realized Buhara was right when I spotted the large knives she held in her hands.

"Probably." Menchi said, standing up and walking forward. I inched back slightly when she passed me and walked down the stairs to stand in front of the rest of the fearful applicants.

"Let me clarify this…We frequently venture into the dens of ferocious beasts, searching for ingredients." Menchi suddenly began to juggle her four knives with ease and I began to develop a mortal fear for the Gourmet.

"Every Hunter knows some form of martial art." She stated. "You lack focus and the willingness to experiment." Menchi caught her knives and pointed them threateningly at the applicants. "That alone disqualifies you from being Hunter!"

There was a tense silence as everyone digested the information.

"That said…" A voice boomed from above.

Everyone, me included, looked up to the sky in surprise. There, above us, was a large aircraft that I was surprised no one heard coming.

"It would be excessive to fail every single applicant." The voice finalized.

"That's the symbol of the Hunter's Association!" Someone yelled out in shock. "Is it someone from the Selection Committee?"

As if to answer his question, someone lept from the window of the aircraft and fell to the earth with an earth shattering explosion. Dust covered the area and I squinted through the dust, trying to see who on earth had been crazy enough to do that. As the dust cleared it revealed a large crater created in the earth as well as a….old man?

I gapped in shock at the old geezer, surprised he wasn't at least injured in the fall. What was he made out of? Steel?

"W-Who is that old geezer?" Someone managed to stutter out, asking the thought question.

Menchi stepped forward calmly, making her way to the old man. "The Chairman of the Selection Committee. He's in charge of the Hunter Exam…Chairman Netero."

From the sound of it and everyone's reactions, this old geezer must have been important. Quite frankly, I didn't care. I was still too occupied about HOW he had jumped from that height without a single injury.

"Well, I work behind the scenes." The old man explained. "I only take action when there is an issue, like now. So, Menchi-kun…" The Chairman stared squarely at Menchi.

"Yes, sir." Menchi said respectively.

"You failed all of the applicants because you disapproved of their reluc-" I twitched, noticing the Chairman's brief glance down at Menchi's chest.

'Great, there's a perv in charge.'

"-tance to try new things?"

"No, sir." Menchi replied, seemingly not noticing the quick glance the Chairman had done. "I lost my cool when one of the candidates insulted Gourmet Hunters and I made the exam harder than necessary."

I glanced over at said applicant, surprised to see him glaring at Menchi. Guess he wasn't dead after all.

"In other words, you were aware that this exam was unacceptable?"

"Yes, sir." Menchi answered reluctantly. "When cooking is involved I lose control. I'm unqualified to be an Examiner. I'll resign as examiner, so please redo the Second Phase!"

I smiled a Menchi's choice, she really was nice.

The Chairman hummed inn response. "But it would be difficult to find another Examiner on such a short notice."

"I apologize…"

The Chairman suddenly held up a finger, like an idea had just struck him. "Alright, how about this?"

**HunterXxXxXHunter (Heehee, I got a little bit lazy….)**

I stared down into the abyss bellow me in fear.

The Chairman had taken all the applicants, as well as Menchi and Buhara, to Mt. Slit-in-Half for the redo of the Second Phase, which was now Boiled Eggs.

I squinted down and saw the gigantic spider webs with egg sacks hanging from them. I prayed to god that those weren't the eggs we were supposed to cook.

"Now, everyone…" Menchi caught everyone's attention. "Look down there. Those are a Spider Eagle's web."

A sudden rush off air came through the crevasse and knocked a few applicants back. I slowly edged away from the edge, my stomach churning at the sheer depth of it.

"Look below the web." Menchi continued. "Those are Spider Eagle Eggs."

'Oh god….please don't tell me we're going to…' My stomach churned even more at the thought of eating a SPIDER'S egg.

The Chairman continued for Menchi. "Spider Eagles build their webs in deep ravines, to protect their eggs from predators. This makes their eggs one of the most difficult ingredient to obtain. The eggs also known as dream eggs."

Oh god, we were…

"W-what a minute….you don't mean-"

"I sure do." Menchi cut #255 off, making my heart drop.

I spun around to completely flip at Menchi for suggesting this idea but I froze when I saw Menchi plummet over the edge. I run over and peered down in shock. Menchi grabbed onto one of the webs and waited, staring down at the eggs.

"Even if she can grab an egg, how will she climb back up?" Leorio muttered quietly from his spot beside me.

"Exactly what I was thinking…" I whispered, suddenly coming to terms that I may not make it past the Second Phase.

Menchi all of a sudden let go of the web and went plummeting down, everyone crying out in shock. On the way down Menchi managed to grab an egg before disappearing into the fog bellow.

"Is she trying to killer herself?"

I blocked Leorio out as I stared intently down, waiting for Menchi to reappear as cold sweat trickled down my forehead. She had to have some plan on making it back up here. I ridiculously strong wind blasted through the ravine, Menchi coming back up with it, an egg in her hands.

As Menchi hovered above us I stayed frozen, staring down into the ravine in fear. There was no way I was going to pass the Second Phase.

'No…no way…there was no way I could do this….'

I was brought back from my thoughts when I saw Gon, Killua, Kurapika and Leorio fly past me and into the ravine. I shuddered in fear as everyone else began to join them. How the hell were they doing this? They were all insane!

As I watched them hang there, I couldn't move a muscle. I shut my eyes tightly in fear, tears stinging my eyes.

'No way. I can't do that! I'm scared…petrified! I-I'm not cut out to be a Hunter…I'm not…strong enough-'

"Kuragi!"

My eyes snapped open at the sound of Gon calling my name. I stared down at the spikey haired boy who stared up at me with a giant grin. "What are you waiting for, this is really fun!"

Tears began to gather in my eyes and I looked away. "I'm sorry….Gon, Killu-"

"What are you waiting for, idiot?"

I opened my eyes and now saw Killua looking up at me as well with a bored expression.

"You're wasting our time. Get down here."

I clenched the fabric of my short tightly. "Screw this…" I growled out, standing up straight and wiping the tears from my eyes. I glared down at the two boys waiting for me and saw Gon's grin widen even more and Killua smirking before looking away.

I bent my knees and sprung forward with all my might. "I'M GOING TO PASS THIS EVEN IF IT KILLS ME!" I yelled determinedly as I plummeted down, reminding myself of Leorio.

As I came closer to the edge a sudden panic over took me. What if I didn't grab it?

I gulped down my fear and held out my hands, ready to grab it. I could do this! I could do this!

My hands touched the web and I grinned in triumph, clasping the web tightly. I jarred slightly but other than that, I was fine.

'I did it…I did it!'

I panted as the adrenalin from the fall faded way, a giant grin on my face. I looked at Killua who was to my right and he grinned back than I turned to Gon with an even wider grin but when I saw his focused expression my grin melted away, replaced with my own look of focus.

'Shouldn't we jump now?'

All was silent as we waited.

"See ya later!" Someone called snootily as he let go and grabbed an egg confidently.

"Let's go!" Leorio called excitedly.

I loosened my grip, ready to get this over and done with but froze when Gon spoke seriously.

"Not yet."

"Why not?" Leorio asked impatiently.

"There's no wind. There isn't always an updraft." Killua stated calmly.

At that I tightened my hold twice as hard, to the point where my knuckles turned white. I watched as the poor sucker from before, flinching at his terror filled scream.

"When's the next one?" I stuttered out, and edge of fear in my trembling voice.

"Wait." Gon simply stated.

We all looked at him and waited. Gon closed his eyes and seemed to concentrate. A sense of dread filled me when the moments ticked by. Suddenly, I felt the web slacken slightly and an even stronger terror then before filled me as I went wide eyed and stopped breathing.

"The web won't hold us all!" Kurapika exclaimed and I began to shake uncontrollably.

'I'm going to die. I'm going to die. I'm going to-'

I felt someone's touched my own and I froze and turned stiffly to look at Killua. He was looking at calmly and I relaxed and took a deep breath. If he wasn't worried I probably shouldn't either.

Killua's gave shifted to Gon. "Gon, not yet?"

We all waited for Gon's response but none came.

"Damnit!" Someone yelled. "I can't wait for an updraft!" With that they let go of the web and grabbed an egg, soon followed by several other people. Their panicked screams came a moment later as they disappeared into the fog.

I began to shake again, my grip slipping from the sweat on my palms.

"Gon?" Killua asked, a little more forcefully as he glanced at me.

I felt the web slacken even more and I was on the verge of losing my grip.

"It's gonna snap." Leorio yelled.

"Now!" Gon suddenly screamed.

In an instant we had all let go and were falling down. I narrowed my eyes in determination.

'I trust you, Gon! Don't let me down!' I thought as I grabbed and egg and hugged it to myself as I curled into a ball, waiting for the updraft.

Then the updraft came, propelling us back up, I had never been more relieved in my life. I sighed shakily and looked around. I caught Killua's glance and gave a shaky smile. Killua smiled in return and waved his egg at me.

"Wasn't so hard now was it, scaredy-cat?"

I didn't even care that he had insulted me, I was too relieved. I just smiled wider.

'I did it!'

**HunterXxXxXHunter**

I sat cross-legged in front of the fire Menchi had made to boil the eggs, letting the fire warm my frayed nerves.

I looked down at the warm egg in my hand with a frown, even after all that I still didn't feel like eating the egg. I heard someone sit down beside me and looked over. Killua had sat down and was eyeing my egg. I sighed and threw it at him. "Knock yourself out…."

Killua grabbed the egg and dug in immediately. My head shot up in sudden realization.

"Crap, I forgot!" I stood up in a flash and ran back to edge of the abyss, there was the two containers I had left there earlier, thankfully untouched. One was bigger than the other but both contained the pork and crackling I had made. The larger one was for me to share with Gon and the others later while the smaller one…

I picked up the containers before spinning around and marching up to Menchi with a glower on my face. As I approached she turned to me with a questioning look. Without saying anything I opened up the smaller container and shoved it in her face.

"Try my godamned food!" I snapped with a glare.

Menchi blinked before realization dawned on her face. "I never did try your food, did I?"

I stayed silent and continued to stare at her until she picked up the fork from the container and brought a piece of pork to her mouth and chewed quietly, a 'thinking' look on her face. Her eyes widened and she looked down at me with a thoughtful expression.

"Hmm, this is good, the meats not too dry but not too moist either and it's been cooked over a low flame with a lot of care. I also like the addition of the crackling, most people avoid adding that. The only think wrong is that it's cold, but that's to be expected." Menchi smiled down at me and held up her sign, the 'O' facing me. "You definitely would have passed.

I grinned and felt relieved until my eyes widened as I realized something.

"You mean…I WOULDN'T HAVE HAD TO GO THROUGH ALL THAT IF YOU HAD JUST TRIED MY FOOD!?"

**I really like the end to this chapter, don't you?**

**Any more feedback on Kuragi? I would like feedback on her as the story progresses, such as;**

**If her personality changes**

**If she's too over powered? (Which will come later)**

**Is her back story too cliché?**

**Does she fit with the story?**

**Is she being Mary-sue?**

**Ect.**

**Ya know, helpful things like that and such?**

**Hope you guys liked this chapter! It wasn't as long as the last one but still longer then my general chapters!**

**Also, if there are any typos of Spelling/Gramma mistakes, please don't hesitate to point them out!**

**Have a good Day/Evening/Night!**


	3. Airship X Showdown!

**Aw, no reviews? That makes me kinda sad guys. I'm always looking forward to what you have to say! So please give me feedback or maybe just say; 'Hey! I like this story! You're doin good!' Cause then I at least know I'm doing a good job!**

**I STILL DON'T OWN HUNTER X HUNTER!**

_/3/ Airship X Showdown_

After the whole ordeal with Menchi I had to be dragged back onto the airship by Leorio because I refused to let it go though, after a wile of fuming in the corner and muttering dark obscenities to myself, I did eventually calm down.

Right now we were all gathered together in the one room in front of Chairman Netero, while we waited to arrive at the sight of the Third Phase. I still couldn't believe I had passed the Second Phase.

"Allow me to introduce myself to the remaining forty-four remaining applicants." Netero said, breaking me out of my musings. "I am Netero, Chairman of this year's Hunter Exam Selection Committee."

"Don't we already know this?" I mumbled only to be smacked on the head by Leorio.

"Shhh, show some respect, Kid!" He hissed at me. I narrowed my eyes up at him before turning back to face the front, rubbing my sore head.

The small green man who had been handing out the tags in the beginning phase introduced himself as well. "And I am his secretary, Beans."

I smiled. I liked Beans.

Netero continued. "Originally, I'd planned to make an appearance during the Exam's Final Phase, But as I am already here…" The Chairman paused suddenly, glancing around at the applicants, grinning. "I'm loving this tension in the air!"

I frowned at the old man and heard Killua yawn from beside me, guess I wasn't the only one who was tired.

"I think I'll stick around for the rest of the trip."

"How could you not, we are stuck on an airship together a few hundred meters above the ground." That quiet sarcastic comment earned me another smack to the back of the head from Leorio.

Beans stepped forward, drawing our attention to him. "We are scheduled to arrive at our destination tomorrow morning, at 8am. You'll find dinner waiting in the dining hall. You are also welcome to get some rest."

I yawned suddenly. Rest sounded AMAZING right about now.

"In other words, you are free to do as you please until you are contacted." Beans finished.

Killua turned to us with a grin. "Okay, Gon! Kuragi! Let's explore the airship!"

"Yeah!" Gon agreed and they both began to leave. I stayed out, yawning, only for my hand to be grabbed by Killua's and being dragged away.

"But I'm tired." I whined, rubbing my tired eyes.

"You can sleep later." Killua said, continuing to drag me.

I groaned. "I hate you…"

***Meanwhile, with the Examiners***

"Hey, how many applicants do you expect to make it?" Menchi asked suddenly, glancing up from her meal to look at Statotz and Buhara.

"You mean pass the Exam?" Buhara clarified.

"Yep!" Menchi exclaimed, popping the 'p'. "We have an impressive group this year. Though, I did fail them all at one point…"

"But doesn't it depend on what the upcoming Phases consist of?"

"That's true~" Menchi replied in a sing-song tone. "But didn't you notice it? One of them has this whole aura thing going on!" Menchi paused to take another bite of food before turning to Statotz. "What do you think?"

Statotz paused in his meal. "Oh, yes. I like the rookies this year."

Menchi perked up. "Ah~ So you agree? I think #294 has a good shot!"

"I'm partial to #99 and #100, though I have a feeling #100 might not pass this year."

Menchi wrinkled up her not at the mention of #99. "Eh, He looks like a spoiled brat! Though, I do agree with you on #100, she has potential but she has no outstanding traits, sure she can cook, but she's not physically or mentally strong enough. I believe if it wasn't for #99 and #405 she would have backed out during the Second Phase."

Statotz and Buhara nodded and agreement before Buhara spoke up. "Well…He isn't a rookie, but #44 is the one I favour…."

***Back with Kura~***

Somehow, Killua convinced Gon and me to sneak into the kitchen with him to nab some food. It was a terrible idea. We had been spotted almost instantly but not before Killua and Gon had each nabbed a chicken leg and I had nabbed a piece of chocolate cake.

The chef through us out of the kitchen before slamming the door behind us, not bothering taking the food back. I grinned as I took a bite of the cake, feeling much better with a little sugar running through my blood.

We wondered the airship for a little while longer until we found a hallway lined with windows to the outside world.

"Wow, awesome!" Killua exclaimed, running up to the window and peering out of it, I followed suit, wondering what was so cool. My eyes widened when I looked out the window and saw the glittering lights bellow up, it was a beautiful view.

"Look, Gon!" Killua and I called to our friend. Said spikey haired boy hummed and came over beside me.

"Hmmm? What is it?" He asked.

"Just look!" I said, practically shoving his face into the glass.

"Whoa! It's like the ground is covered in jewels!"

I absentmindedly nodded in agreement, too absorbed in the view to speak. I never seen anything like this!

"Hey, I was wondering…" Gon suddenly spoke up after a moment of silence.

"Hmmm?" Killua and I hummed in reply.

"Where are you Moms and Dads?"

I opened my mouth automatically to reply before closing my mouth and looking down sadly.

"Hmm….They're alive" Killua answered, saving us from an awkward silence. "Probably."

My head shot up and I looked at Killua in confusion. The hell did he mean by probably?

"What do they do?" Gon asked enthusiastically.

"They're assassins." Killua answered immediately.

My eyes widened even more and my mouth hung open. He must have been joking, but I got the feeling he wasn't. I wasn't even that surprised. I had seen this kid survive poisoning with no effect, seen him run an 80k marathon without breaking a sweat and I had seen them carry two pigs three times his size. Hell, his parents were suddenly assassins now? Why the hell not.

"Eh! Both of them?" Gon asked innocently.

Killua turned to use and took one look at our faces before busting out laughing. "That's your first reaction? You guys are such a riot!"

I pouted as he continued to laugh at us, sitting down with a huff. Soon, Gon and Killua did the same.

Killua propped his chin on his hand and grinned at us. "You guys are the first to respond so seriously."

I blinked. "Really? You're telling the truth though."

Killua glanced at me over Gon's shoulder with a frown. "What makes you think that?"

I rolled my eyes and scoffed. "No way would someone like YOU lie about that. You're way too cocky." I said, copying his pose.

Killua glanced out the window. "That's weird…"

I bristled, thinking he was calling me weird.

"People only like me because they can't ever tell whether I'm serious…"

I frowned at that. 'People only like him because of that? Sure he can be a jerk sometimes and a little rude but he was nice to hang around.'

"I'm from a family of assassins." Killua continued on, still staring out the window at the ground bellow with a melancholic look on his face. "So they're all assassins, and my family has really high hopes for me…"

Killua grinned briefly before frowning again and getting a thoughtful look on his face.

"But I can't stand it. Who wants to have their whole life planned out for them?"

"Definitely not me…" I whispered, frowning as I thought about how much pressure he must have been under.

Killua turned to us with a wide eyed expression. "When I told then I wanted to decide my own future, they all snapped!"

I winced as he said that, thinking something terrible had happened.

"My mother had tears streaming down her face, as she told me I have the potential to be top assassin." Killua ranted, making me and Gon chuckle. "Horrible parents, right? Its natural their kid would go bad. We ended up fighting. So I stabbed my mother in the face, my brother in the side, and ran away from home."

I winced as I imagined it. Sure he was an assassin but wasn't that a little extreme.

Killua got a cheeky grin on his face as he went into a 'thinking' pose. "I'm sure they're out for my blood now but it they find me I'll send them packing!" Killua's expression shifted and I just knew he was picturing something ridiculous. "When I become a Hunter, I'll start by capturing my family. I'm sure they're worth some hefty bounties…"

I shook my head as I laughed at the albino. He had some weird motives.

"So, Kuragi…" I stopped laughing when I heard my name and looked over at Gon, who had spoken. "What about your parents?"

I frowned down at my hands before looking back at the two boys with a nervous grin. "Ehee~ I don't actually, ya know, have parents…"

All was silent as they looked at me, waiting for me to continue.

I took a deep breath and sighed, grinning. "My younger brother and I were raised by my older sister, Palm."[1] I paused and looked at the boys but they still had their full attention on me. "I have no idea what happened to my parents, Palm refuses to talk about. All I know is that their gone and that we're stuck living in a rundown house in the slums. My sister did, and still is doing, a great job of taking care of us. She works 6 days a week, doing three different jobs to keep a steady flow of cash coming in, even though it isn't much…Though me and my younger brother don't mind, as long as we have each other, we're perfectly content!"

I grinned down at my lap at the memory of eight year old boy.

"They're actually the reason I'm here! I-" I paused, frowning as I rested my chin in the palm of my hand. "I'm sick of Palm running herself down to the ground just for us to barely get by, I'm sick of Aka looking like nothing but skin and bones and having to wear old clothes." I slammed my fist on the windowsill. "I'm sick of everyone looking down on us just because we live in the slums! I'm tired of me and my family being treated like dirty street rats just because we don't have enough money to get by!"

I grit my teeth and tried to calm down. "I'm through with being poor…" I mumbled sadly. "I said the reason why I wanted to become a Hunter was to get stronger, right?"

Both boys nodded.

"Well, that was only part of the reason…the main reason is because a Hunter's Licence can give you so much; money, access to unaccusable places, things like that…I want the money so Palm can take some time off and not worry so much, and the access to different places…well…it's Aka's dream to travel the world and see all the different places! I could take him to go see everything the world have to offer with that Licence!"

I grinned at the boys again. Gon was grinning right back while Killua had a wide eyed expression.

"Though…that's where getting stronger comes in…" I smiled sadly down at my legs. "Palm told me I was born premature with underdeveloped muscles, meaning I don't have much stamina or strength, I was actually really surprised I passed the First Phase because of that! I can't take Aka around the world like this, no can I? I wouldn't be able to keep up and do all the things he wants to do. I was hoping the Hunter Exam would help me get at least a little stronger…Just so I could have fun with him. However, there is something weird about my leg muscles, even though they're not very strong I am pretty fast though the speed only works in short bursts otherwise I would tired really fast, that's why I slowed down during the First Phase even though I was up front, I didn't want to waste my energy on that."

I looked back at the boys, both were staring at me with wide eyes. I waited for them to say something.

"Wow!" Both boys exclaimed, grinning widely.

"You're amazing, Kuragi!" Gon exclaimed, getting up in my face.

I felt flustered. "Well, uh, thank-"

All three of us froze and the smiles melted off our faces when we felt a sudden rush off murderous intent directed at us from behind.

Killua reacted faster than us but we all stood and turned around in search of the source. Though, there was no one there…

I looked around in confusion, only to spot Netero walking casually down the hall. My eyes narrowed. Almost too casual.

'Had he…? Was he really that fast!?'

"Something wrong?" Netero asked with a smile when he saw us staring around. There was a tense pause as Killua and I stared Netero down, while Gon only blinked at him. Said spikey haired boy was the one who broke the silence.

"Ah, Netero-san…Did you see anyone coming from that side?" The boy pointed to the hallway behind us.

Netero shook his head. "No."

I narrowed my eyes at the tone of his voice, he was defiantly lying. I looked to Killua and saw the glare he was sending to the old man. He obviously thought so as well.

"You're pretty fast for an old man." Killua commented casually with a smirk.

The Chairman blinked innocently. "Oh, that little trick? I barely moved!"

I twitched at the sudden tension that filled the air, Killua and Netero having a stare off. I walked forward and put my hand on Killua's shoulder, squeezing it lightly. We didn't need a fight breaking out. I wouldn't be able to handle the tension after everything I'd been through.

Killua glanced over his shoulder at me and I gave him a pleading look. He sighed and turned back to Netero, the tension lessening. "What do you want? You don't have to do anything before the last phase, right?"

I sighed and backed away, dropping my hand from his shoulder only to have his hand grab it instead. I blushed and my heart skipped a beat.

'Wh-whaaaaaaaat is he doing!?'

I swore my face was on fire as I looked at Killua in surprise but he was still staring at Netero evenly. Said old man smirked at the boy.

"No need to be so unkind. I got bored, and was looking for some companions" Netero explained, "By the way, I meant to ask you three…Any thoughts on your first attempt at the Hunter Exam?"

I blanched. No way had he done all that just to ask us THAT stupid question.

Gon peaked up and grinned. "Uh-huh! It's fun!" He exclaimed, an excited gleam in his eyes. "And there haven't been any of the written exams I had been dreading!"

I smiled at the typical Gon answer before turning to Killua in curiosity, what did he think of the Exam?

Killua narrowed his eyes. "I'm disappointed…I expected the exam to be more difficult. I assume the next phase will be more entertaining?"

I bristled at Killua's answer. 'Entertaining? ENTERTAINING!? WE HAD JUST RISKED OUR LIVES TO BOIL A STUPID EGG AND YOU SAY IT WASN'T DIFFICULT ENOUGH!?' I fumed silently, clenching Killua's hand in mine tightly, hoping it hurt. Though, much to my chagrin, I didn't even see Killua twitch.

Netero looked away with a smile. "Well, now…I wouldn't know about that."

I rolled my eyes at the old man's attempt at being nonchalant. 'Liar.'

Killua's grip on my hand tightened momentarily before he spun around and began to walk away, dragging me with him. "Let's go, Gon! Kuragi!"

'Well, not like I have a choice…'

"Now wait just a moment." Netero called after us.

Killua stopped to listen while I looked over my shoulder at the grinning old man.

"Would you like to play a game with me?"

I peaked up at that and Killua turned to look at the old man.

"What kind of game?" I asked, trying to hold in my excitement. 'Oh, if this is a game of Shogi I am totally going to kick his ass!'

"If you are able to defeat me…" Netero stated, making my excitement wilted. "I shall let you be Hunters!"

I froze and stared wide eyed. 'No way. There had to be a catch….but…' I glared at the old man and grinned. 'If I defeated him, I could get home earlier to Palm and Akallu…'

"Really?" Gon exclaimed. "I'll play!"

Killua turned to face the old man. Netero looked at us both and grinned even wider.

"How about it, eh?"

I felt myself fill with determination. "Bring it…Old man."

**HunterXxXxXHunter**

Chairman Netero had casually lead us to what looked like a training room, if the padded walls were anything to go by.

Gon, Killua and I stood near the doorway, staring at the old man blankly. Netero had stripped off his fancy robe and was now standing casually in the middle of the room in nothing but his pants and undershirt, dribbling a ball with a grin. He suddenly through the ball up and caught it on one finger, balancing it perfectly.

"Now, I'll go over the rules of the game. If you can take the ball from me, before the airship reaches its destination, you win." Netero explained and I relaxed slightly but still kept up my guard. I glanced at the clock, it was 11am on the dot.

'That gives us nine hours…It doesn't sound too hard, considering he is an old man but….' I frowned and glanced down at my legs. 'Considering my condition, I won't be able to keep up my game the whole time. Also, considering how fast he had moved before…I would have to use my full speed to even stand a chance...this is bad…I don't think I'll get the ball.'

I grit my teeth and clenched my hands. 'No, don't think like that! I WILL get that ball or at least I'll damn well try!'

Netero continued as he began to spin the ball, still balancing it. "You're free to attack me however you'd like. I won't touch you."

"Huh? That's too easy!" Gon whined and I frowned at the green clad boy. "You can't call that a game!"

Netero glanced at Gon evenly. "Why not give it a try first?" The old man's innocent tone pissed me off. It was like he was playing with us.

Killua suddenly stepped forward. "We just have to take the ball, right?" He clarified and the old man grunted in confirmation. "Then I'll go first…"

I glanced at Killua curiously as he stepped over to the old man. I wondered what he was going to do, he seemed strong enough…but…

I stopped my train of thought when Killua's stance shifted and he began to walk around Netero, never breaking eye contact.

My breath hitched and I went wide eyed when Killua began to duplicate with each step, until there was a full circle of copies walking around the Chairman. I barely believed what I saw.

"Whoa!" Gon exclaimed, leaning forward. "I see lots of Killuas!"

"M-me to…" I managed to stutter out, way too awed to for a full sentence.

The circle of Killuas continued to walk around Netero, none of them breaking eye contact with the old man. I waited in baited silence for Killua to make a move.

Suddenly, one of the Killuas leapt forward, reaching for the ball. The rest of the Killuas disappeared and Netero dodged to the side but just as quickly, Killua rebounded and continuously swiped for the ball in quick succession.

Netero managed to dodge every time, keeping the ball far away from Killua's reach.

I gulped and sweat trickled down the side of my face as I stared at the old man. 'I haven't even tried and I'm already feeling the pressure. Is this…Is this guy really an old man? He's fast!'

Killua stopped and glared at the old man over his shoulder, obviously getting annoyed by the old man's speed.

Netero grinned and juggled the ball. "What? That's it?" He mocked, pissing Killua off even more.

Suddenly, Killua took off towards the old man, one of his legs pulled back for a powerful kick.

'That's it! Stop his movements!'

Killua's leg collided with the old man's and timed seemed to pause for a moment. Netero stared down at Killua blankly before said albino's grin melted off his face and he shot up, holding his leg as he hopped around with a look of pain.

"Ow! Ow! Ow!"

I froze and stared at the old man's leg. I knew Killua was ridiculously strong so…why wasn't this old guy hurt!?

"Killua!" Gon spoke up, holding up his hand as he practically bounced in excitement. "Tag! Tag! I want to try!"

Killua pouted as he stood and made his way back over to us. He slapped Gon's hand before walking past him and collapsing against the wall. As Gon walked forward and stretched I turned and joined Killua. I looked at him and grinned at his pouting face.

Killua sent me a glare. "What?"

I smiled and held out my fist. "If it's any consolation…that was amazing!"

I swear I saw Killua's cheeks turn a slight pink as he knocked his fist against mine. "Yeah, thanks."

I grinned and turned my attention back to the game just as Gon shot off towards Netero. I widened my eyes. 'Why was everyone so fast!? That first step was incredible!'

I saw Netero relax just before Gon disappeared.

I looked around for the green boy, only to see him reappear above Netero just as said old man did. My eyes widened when I realized Gon's mistake. "Idiot!" I cried. "You jumped way too h-!"

Too late.

Gon's head smashed into the ceiling and he went tumbling back to the ground, landing on his behind as he rolled around on the floor in pain and rubbed his head.

"H-high…." I faltered at his failure.

"Idiot!" Killua yelled in annoyance. "We know that you can jump really high! Control your strength!" Killua crossed his arms and pouted. "For a moment, the old man relaxed his guard!"

"What he said!" I added in, crossing my arms and giving Gon an angry glance.

Gon, seemingly unfazed, got back up and began to walk around Netero, rubbing his head. "I messed up there…"

I grit my teeth and stood, needing to vent of my rage from the past day. "Oi, Gon! Get your ass back over here! It's my turn!"

Gon stopped and blinked at me in confusion before breaking out in a giant grin, dashing over and slapping my hand. "Tag!" He yelled, before sitting down next to Killua.

I stepped over to the old man calmly as I unzipped my jacket and tossed it to the side, leaving me in my black singlet. I thanked god I had tied my hair in a bun before the exam, otherwise my hair would be all over the place.

"Wow!" I heard Gon exclaim from behind me. "Your hair is so pretty, Kura!"

I flushed at the comment and glared at the boy. "Shut up! You're distracting me!"

Gon shrunk back and waved his hands in defence, laughing nervously. "Sorry! Sorry!"

My gaze flickered over to Killua and he was staring at me with wide eyed. I blushed. 'What? Is there something wrong with my face?'

I turned back and glared at the old man, who was staring at me with a grin. "Well, Well. Who knew such a pretty girl was taking the Hunter Exam this year."

I glared harder. "Shut it, Old man!" I slid one foot forward and tensed, ready to pounce. "You know…You may be fast…."

I pushed off with all my strength and zoomed towards the old man, whose eyes had widened and mouth had dropped in complete shock.

"BUT I'M FASTER!"

Netero just barely dodged to the side but I still felt my hand brush the ball. A sudden rush off confidence filled me.

I could do this.

Instead of slowing my momentum and gaining my footing, I continued to sail towards the wall. I flipped around so my feet faced the wall and braced for impact. As I hit the wall my knees bent and I coiled my muscles like a spring before pushing off the wall and dashing back at Netero, who was more prepared this time. He dodged smoothly but I repeated what I had done before and continued to lunch myself off the walls, getting faster and faster as my momentum built.

It wasn't until I felt my legs beginning to burn did I stop. I slid down the wall and landed on the ground on my hands and knees, panting as rivers of sweat dripping down my face. I stared up at Netero's face in annoyance.

"How…was that…old man?" I panted, grinning at his surprised expression.

"Good." Netero praised before grinning and spinning the ball I had failed to get. "But not good enough!"

I whined and stumbled back over to Killua and Gon, collapsing against the wall in a panting heap next to the wide eyed albino.

Killua turned to me and grinned as he stood, holding his fist out to me. "If it's any consolation, you did good."

I grinned and bumped his fist with my own.

"Yeah…" I panted. "Thanks…"

**HunterXxXxXHunter**

Hours passed by and none of us had yet to get the ball.

The boys had stripped their down to their undershirts and were already panting, sweating messes, though, I wasn't any better. I had used up most off my strength so I had to sit out for a while, skipping a couple off my turns.

I was sitting against the wall on the sidelines and panting as Gon and I watched Killua going for the ball again, but still being unsuccessful. I winced when Killua slammed face-first into the back of the old man's head. From what I had experienced I knew the old man was as hard as steel.

Killua collapsed to the ground and held his nose.

'Geez, I hope it's not broken…'

Netero turned and looked down at Killua with a chuckle. "You kids aren't getting anywhere. Why not attack simultaneously?"

My eyes widened. That's right, we haven't tried that yet!

Killua shot up with a glare and darted for the old man again. "Why, you-!"

Gon suddenly shot forward as well. "Right! I'll get you this time!"

I smiled and pushed myself up. "Well, I'm not one to be left out of the crowd!" I dashed forward as fast as I could, going all out. I could tell this was going to be our last attempt.

Netero dodged past Killua and slammed Gon's face into the ground before I appeared above him and aimed a kick at his head. It landed but it wasn't even strong enough to phase the old man. Netero peeked up at me with a grin before grabbing my ankle and flinging me into the wall.

I groaned and slouched over. "You bastard…"

'Hadn't he said he wouldn't touch us? Liar…'

I got back up and dashed forward again, re-joining the fray.

Netero continued to dodge over and over, not even breaking a sweat while we were already soaked to the bone. It was annoying me but…

This was the most fun I'd had in a long time.

I grinned and dashed for the ball again, just as Killua and Gon did, only for Netero to gracefully dodge and our heads to collide together painfully.

"Ow!" We all yelled, backing away and glaring at Netero, whom was balancing the ball on his nose like a seal.

Gon was the first to move again. He shot forward and aimed a kick at Netero's chin, only for it to be dodged, kind of. Just as Netero dodged his kick, Gon's shoe came off his foot and hit Netero with enough force for him to lose his grip on the ball and going flying.

Killua shot behind him and aimed another kick behind his head, landing a solid hit and sending him my way. I Jumped over the man like a leap frog and dived for the ball just as Killua did.

"A chance!" We yelled, reaching for the ball. My fingertips just barely skimmed it before Netero's foot came up and kicked it away. I glared and braced my foot against Netero's leg, using it as a spring board to shoot off towards the ball again.

"Oh no you don't!" I suddenly felt something smash into my face and was sent flying into the wall again. I felt something warm trickle down my upper lip and wiped at it.

'Tch, I think the old bastard broke my nose…'

I glared and shot back up again, anger fuelling me. I watched Gon kick off his other shoe and knock the ball off course, heading to the opposite wall.

I leapt forward and came up beside the two boys, all three of us reaching for the ball with grins.

"It's mine!" The two boys yelled in confidence.

Suddenly, a tense aura filled the room and I frowned.

'We aren't going to get this ball…'

Netero shot past us and grabbed the ball, knocking us away. I landed on my feet and skidded back, coming to a stop beside a glaring Killua.

"I commend you on your efforts." The Chairman said simply.

'And that's it…we will never get that ball in a million years.'

"Wow! That was amazing, Netero-san!" Gon exclaimed, still as positive as ever.

I smiled in defeat and looked over at Killua, only for my blood to run cold. He was sending deadly glare to a steaming footprint on the floor. He was completely pissed.

I watched him stand up slowly and scoff. "Forget it…" He finalized. "I give up. I lose!" With that, Killua turned and walked to the door, collection his shirt as he went.

"Why?" Gon asked innocently. "We still have time, and besides, we came really close just now."

Killua turned to Gon and sighed. "Jeez. You really have no clue, do you? The old man-"

I cut Killua off with a growl as I clench my fists and stood on shaky legs. "The old man hasn't even used his right arm and left leg!"

"Eh!" Gon was clearly shocked by this.

"But we're still powerless against him." Killua continued. "We could chase him around for a year, and still not get that ball…"

The Chairman hummed. "Oh, so you figured it out? And here I thought I had you fooled!"

"So that's what he was doing…" Gon mulled over this information.

From the doorway came a very fake laugh from Killua. "You really know how to piss me off, old man!" He turned to walk away. "Let's go, Kuragi! Gon"

I nodded and began to follow him, too tired to even think about getting the ball as I collected my jacket and put it on.

"Oh, I'm gonna play a little longer!"

I stopped mid-stride at Gon's words, slapping my palm against my face, wincing when my nose throbbed. This kid was insane!

Killua stomped through the door and got up in Gon's face. "DIDN'T YOU HEAR WHAT I SAID!?" Killua yelled at him. "IT'S USELESS! YOU WON'T BE ABLE TO TAKE THE BALL FROM HIM!"

"Yeah! I don't care about the ball!" Gon replied happily, making me and Killua blanch. "We've only used up half of the time limit. I'm gonna make Netero-san use his right hand before the time runs up."

I slowly slide my hand down my face and sighed, grinning at the hyper boy.

"Good luck with that…/I see…Good luck…" Killua and I spoke at the same time, beginning to walk away again. I waved a hand over my shoulder lazily as the other reached into one of my shorts pockets. I gripped the thin stick that sat in my pocket and yanked it out. In my hand was a watermelon flavoured lollipop. I skilfully unwrapped the candy and popped it in my mouth, my muscles practically melting at the sweet taste, as I followed behind Killua.

I glanced at Killua from the corner of my eye as we walked down the hall. He had such a dark look on his face that I shuddered.

All of a sudden, as I took a step forward, my knee buckled and I crumpled to the ground. I panted and tried to stand back up, only to collapse back onto the ground.

I chuckled quietly. "Guess the old geezer made me use more energy than I had planned to…"

I looked up as I hear Killua continue past me and noticed that he was now shirtless. I blushed and looked away, Killua continuing on without me. He didn't even seem to notice I had fallen. I stayed there, waiting for my legs to become responsive again.

After a while, I regain the feeling in my legs and stumbled to my feet, leaning against the wall. I sighed and took a step forward only for a cold feeling to run down my spine.

Something was wrong.

I rushed around the corner Killua had turned earlier and froze. Lying in the hallway, in a puddle of their own blood, were two mutilated corpses, their necks and faces completely slashed to shreds. I stumbled back and my lollipop fell from my mouth and into the puddle of blood with a sickening 'plop'.

I felt a scream working its way up my throat and I bit my hand to muffle it. I gagged and spat when I tasted my own blood, whipping my hand away from my mouth and pulling my jacket sleeve over my hand to hide the bloody teeth marks.

I began to hyperventilate and looked around in a panic. What if the person who had done this was still here?

I shook my head but froze when an odd thought entered my mind.

'What if…it was Killua?'

I grit my teeth and looked away from the bodies, noticing a trail of blood dips leading away. Curiosity got the better of me and I began to follow them through the corridors. The trail ended outside a door and I opened it slowly, peeking inside hesitantly.

The room was dark but I could still see the sleeping forms of the other candidates and hear their loud snores. A bit of white caught my eye and I looked to the corner of the room. I spotted Killua with his shirts back on, casually leaning against the wall with his hands behind his head as he looked up at the ceiling.

I carefully stepped into the room and quietly closed the door behind me before making my way over to Killua, stepping over snoozing bodies as I went.

I plopped down next to Killua and looked at him through the corner of my eye. He just continued to stare at the ceiling.

I sighed and turned to him fully, frowning. "Hey." I mumbled.

Killua hummed in response, still not turning to me.

"Were…Were you the one who killed those guys?"

Killua stiffened and went wide eyed before looking at me with a frown. "Yeah."

I silently looked away and mulled over the information. I wasn't really surprised, hell, I wasn't even scared. I didn't even care.

It wasn't like it was the first time I had seen a corpse anyway.

I glanced at my lap and played with my hands. I noticed that the blood from my hand was beginning to seem through the white part of my sleeve. I frowned and was about to cover it when a hand grabbed my wrist and lifted my hand up, another pulling my sleeve down to reveal the brutal looking bite mark.

I panicked as I looked at Killua, who was staring intently at my bite mark.

"What happened?" He asked quietly. He probably had already taken a guess.

"I…uh…kinda bit my hand so I wouldn't scream when I saw the bodies, I didn't want to draw attention to it…" I replied, trying to pull my hand away but Killua's grip tightened as he frowned.

"You're so stupid." Killua grumbled and I pouted at him.

I saw Killua glance down at my leggings then back up to me. I blinked at him curiously before realizing what he was getting at.

"Go ahead." I sighed, leaning back against the wall. I flinched when I heard the fabric ripping and felt the cold air on my calf. I heard some more ripping before Killua pulled my hand over to him.

I peaked an eye open and watched Killua bandage my hand with the handmade bandages, wincing ever so often when he made sure they were tight enough.

After Killua tied off the bandages he let my hand drop and turned away again, crossing his arms and staring up at the ceiling. I turned away as well and stared down at my now uneven pant, the asymmetry beginning to bother me.

I reached down and pulled as hard as I could, ripping the other leg of my tights to around the same length as the other. I sighed and leaned back with a smile. Much better.

Out of the corner of my eye I saw Killua staring at me with a raised eyebrow.

"What?" I grumbled, feeling tired again.

"You're weird." Killua simply stated and turning away.

I yawned and laid down on my side, back to Killua. "You say that like it's a bad thing…Night, Kil" With that, I shut my eyes and began to drift off but for I fell asleep completely I swear I heard Killua mumble something.

"It is a bad thing…because I like it."

**WHOOO! DONE! I AM ON A ROLL BABY!**

**Any comments on her speed based power?**

**1\. BTW That's not THAT Palm. It's a completely different person but with the same name...for a reason.**


	4. Let's X Get X Tricky!

**Yo, Guys! Another day, another chapter! I hope you like my idea for Kuragi's Path down the tower.**

**BTW thank you all for the reviews! You know, my review record is 69 on a 6 chapter story. I was wondering if we could beat that by chapter 7 or 8 on this story! If we do I'll do something special for you all! There's a poll on my profile about what you'd want in return, go check it out!**

**.**

**RESPONSE TO **_**KagamineBanana:**_

**Good, Good! **

**.**

**RESPONSE TO **_**kri:**_

**Hello again, my friend!**

**Thanks, I put a lot of thought into her power and her later Hatsu Technique. Though I think you may be surprised by it later.**

**Yeah, I'm making him so awkward and cute heehee, though I kinda feel like he might be a bit out of character…**

**A lemon doesn't sound too bad, I'll defiantly think about adding one in, though it might be a little bit before or after the Chimera Ant Arc. And if I do add one it might be a bit awkward….I've never written one myself o**

**Hope to hear from you again!**

**.**

**STILL DON'T OWN HUNTER X HUNTER!**

_/4/ Let's X Get X Tricky!_

A wild wind rustled my clothes as I glanced around the top of the giant barren tower in wonder. We had finally reached the sight of the Third Phase, and that was a ridiculously tall tower that almost reached the clouds. The air up here was cold and thin so I was grateful I had my jacket. I sniffled and wiped at my nose and flinched when it throbbed. I had found Leorio as soon as I had woken up and asked him to check it out, he had confirmed my fears that it was broken but had straightened it the best he could before applying some gauze. It had swollen overnight and turned an ugly purple and yellow but at least the bleeding had stopped, though, the blood had dried and crusted itself on my upper lip. I was sour that I had no way of washing it off.

"Ahem…"

Everyone quietened down and turned to Beans as he spoke.

"Everyone, the Exam's Third Phase will begin here, at the top of Trick Tower." Beans informed with a smile.

Just at the sound of the name I already knew this Phase was going to be much more difficult than the last.

"Trick Tower?" A random applicant questioned, clearly not getting just what the name implied.

"Ah, yes!" Beans exclaimed with a smile. "To pass this phase, you must reach the towers base alive within 72 hours. With that, we will now begin the Third Phase!" Beans, done with his explanation, walked back onto the airship. Said airship took off seconds later, leaving us there.

I looked over at Gon and the gang, seeing them looking at each other nervously. I sighed and walked over, standing next to Killua as I shoved my hands into my pockets to hide the make shift bandages.

"So…What are you guys planning on doing?" I asked them, having absolutely no clue on how to get down, and there was no way I was going to climb down.

They all shrugged at me before Gon ran over to the edge of the tower and peered down. We followed and peered over the edge as well. Leorio shuddered and I turned green and backed away from the edge.

'Yep….No way I'm climbing down there, screw that. And considering this place's name I wouldn't be surprised if that way down was rigged.'

"Are we supposed to climb down?" Leorio asked nervously, hugging his briefcase to his chest.

"That would be suicide…" Kurapika responded and they all stepped away from the edge.

"Ahem!" We turned as someone cleared their throat from behind us. There stood a pretty buff guy with tag #86.

"Maybe for a normal person." #86 said smugly, walking past us and lowering himself over the edge and beginning to climb down at a steady pace. "But for a top class rock climber, like me, this is no problem!"

"Wow…" Killua drawled sarcastically, obviously not impressed.

"He's going down pretty fast!" Gon stated.

I had to say, I was impressed at the pace he was going but I still felt that there was a catch to climbing down the side like that. And, as if on cue, there was the drumming sound of large beating wings. We all looked around in confusion before misshapen creatures appeared around the side of the tower, their teeth gleaming threateningly as they flew towards the horror stricken rock climber.

"No! Stay away!" The rock climber managed to shriek before one of the creatures swooped down and caught the man in its mouth before taking off into the skies with the screaming man, the other things following.

I whistled lowly. "Well…that way is definitely out…"

"Yeah." Kurapika agreed dryly.

After that, we all agreed to split up and look for another way down; Gon going with Killua, Kurapika going with Leorio and me sticking to myself. As I walked around I kept close attention on the floor, looking for the slightest suspicious mark or indentation, as well as tapped on every part I walked across, searching for a hollow sound or weak stone. After a few hours I was just about to give up when I heard Gon call my name.

"Hey! Kurapika! Leorio! Kuragi! Over here!"

I saw Gon waving me over with Killua beside him. They both seemed rather happy.

I rushed over to them, Kurapika and Leorio meeting me half way.

"What? What's up? Please tell me you found something!" I rushed out, feeling excited.

Gon grinned at me and bent down. "Just look! We found a hidden door!" Gon pushed down on the stone at his feet and it pushed in. When Gon released the trapdoor it snapped back up.

I jumped up with a whoop. "Hell ye-" I quickly quietened down, looking around in case someone had heard me, thankfully, no one seemed to have.

"I see." Kurapika mumbled in thought. "We can descend by flipping the stones."

"Good job, Gon!" Leorio exclaimed, patting Gon on the back. "Let's hurry up and head down."

"Actually," Gon spoke up, stopping Leorio in his tracks. "I'm confused. There are also hidden doors here, there, over there, over here and over there as well." Gon pointed out the five other doors before continuing.

"Why that many?" I question and Gon just shrugged.

"Six hidden doors, located in the same area." Kurapika mused to himself. "It sound suspicious to me."

I nodded in agreement. "This place IS called Trick Tower, after all. We should expect the unexpected." I warned. "I mean, some could be traps, right?"

Everyone looked at me and nodded in agreement before Killua spoke up.

"And it looks as though each door can only be used once…We tried opening a door someone else used, but it wouldn't budge."

"And…" I added in quickly. "None of these doors are big enough to fit more than one person at a time, meaning it's highly likely we're all going to be separated."

Killua nodded. "We'll have to split up."

My heart ached at that and I looked down at my feet. I didn't want to be separated from them, it was thanks to Gon and Killua I had made it this far anyway. I doubted I could do this without their support.

"Gon and I decided we were each going to choose a door." Killua ruled.

"No hard feelings if one of us springs a trap, right?" Gon chimed in with a grin. "How about you guys? What are you going to do?" Gon glanced at the three of us.

"I can live with that." Leorio agreed with their idea.

"I have no objection…" Kurapika stepped forward.

Everyone's attention turned to me and I fidgeted.

"Alright, alright! I'm in…" I forced out, unable to hold back the feeling of melancholy.

"Well, that settles it…" Kurapika stepped up to one of the trap doors and everyone else followed his example, though I took more time than everyone else.

I squeezed one of my arms as I glanced around at everyone in worry, hoping we'd all make it through okay.

"Let's go on the count of three?" Leorio suggested and I absently nodded along with everyone else.

"I guess this is goodbye for now!" Gon chirped happily, making me look down at my chosen trapdoor sadly.

"We'll meet up again, at the Tower's base." Kurapika consoled.

And then began the dreaded countdown.

"One!" Killua said and I tightened the grip on my arm.

"Two!" Gon continued, making me take a deep breath.

"Three!" Leorio said and I hesitated.

I heard the sound of three doors flipping and I looked up in shock. Killua hadn't gone. Instead, he was staring at me with a soft expression.

"Be careful, don't get yourself killed, Kura." And with that, he stepped forward and was gone.

"Yeah…" I sighed shakily, dropping the grip on my arm. "You too…"

I steeled my nerves and stepped forward onto the trap door. My stomach flipped along with the trap door as I dropped down into darkness.

I braced myself and landed with a thud on a stone floor. I blinked, unable to see a single thing. Suddenly, the torches that hung on the wall flared to life and I looked around. I was in a bare stone room with nothing but two doors with a sign in-between them and a pedestal with a stopwatch.

And I was alone.

Briefly, I wondered how Killua could have guessed I would end up alone but shook the thought away before I walked over to the stopwatch and picked it up.

I glanced at it sceptically, seeing the time limit displayed and two buttons bellow the time.

An 'X' and an 'O'.

I shrugged and slipped the watch onto my left wrist, my non-dominant hand, the one that wasn't injured.

"Welcome!" I jumped at the sudden voice that echoed around the room. "I am Lippo. I am the prison warden here, as well as the Third Phase Examiner. I hope you enjoy the Path of Choices." The voice stopped and I looked around in confusion before shrugging and walking over to the doors, reading the sign.

"This is the Path of Choices, where you will make life or death choices. To begin with; please press 'O' for the Path of Strength or 'X' for the path of Thought." I read the sign aloud then stopped and contemplated for a moment before pressing 'X'

The door to my left opened and I advanced. As soon as I stepped through, the door closed behind me. No going back now.

Like the last one, this room was dark until two spot lightly suddenly switched on, illuminating two podiums adjacent from each other. The one furthers from me was occupied by a very thin and scruffy looking man who was smirking at me. His hands were cuffed and chained to the podium.

"Hey, Kid." The man spoke, his voice raspy as he spoke. "Guess you chose the Path of Knowledge? Well, let me explain the rules."

The gleam that developed in his eyes made me nervous.

"First, I'll introduce myself. My name is Kenten, I have a sentence of 108 years for blackmail, fraud and counterfeit. Now, the rules of this path are simple. All we have to do is answer questions asked by each other, it can range from personal to fact. With each question you get right you get a point, you will need the most points to pass. There will be 12 questions in total. Do you agree to the challenge?" He asked, smirking at me.

I narrowed my eyes at him. It felt like he was hiding something but I couldn't be sure. I stepped behind the other podium and saw a large red 'button' on the middle of it. I glanced up at Kenten evenly. "I accept the challenge."

Kenten's smirked suddenly turned malicious and the cuffs fell away from his wrists. "Very well, now that you've accepted the challenge you can't back out now. Now, place your hand on the button in front of you."

I hesitantly did what I was told and placed my hand on the button, Kenten doing the same. However, as soon as our hands touched the buttons restraints shot out from the podium and clamped around our wrists, holding them down. I tried to pry my hand free but it was no use, I was stuck there.

Kenten continued with a shrug. "Oh dear, I forgot to mention that there was a cost for answering a question wrong. You see if you answer a question wrong, I will have a chance to answer the question and gain a point, this also works the other way, however, there is another catch. If you answer the question wrong you will suffer an electric shock from the device our hands are fastened to. The strength of the shock will begin at a 10 Hz AC shock then will be raised by another 10 Hz with every question asked, that means on the final question you will be risking a 160 Hz shock."

Sweat trickled down my forehead as I realized what I had gotten myself into. What was at stake. A strong enough shock could kill a person. Even though we were only answering questions, I was risking my life.*

"Well?" Kenten leered. "Are you ready?"

I grit my teeth and glared. I couldn't back out. "I'm ready."

"Alright then!" Kenten was suddenly cheery. "You may start!"

I immediately felt suspicious. He was messing with me, getting me to relax my guard.

"Alright." I muttered. "Answer this question; what is my name?"

Kenten's grin didn't falter as he spoke. "Your name is…Kuragi." There was a 'ping' as the #1 appeared on the front of his podium.

My eyes widened. 'How-How the hell did he know!?'

Kenten chuckled at my fearful expression. "You see, we are provided with simple background info on the people who chose our paths; such as birthdate, place, name, gender and so forth. Those questions won't stump me. Now, my turn. What gets wetter as it dries?"

I answered immediately. "A towel."

There was another 'ping' and I knew I had earned a point.

"Why did I decide to become a Hunter?" I was confident he wouldn't know the answer, the only ones that should would be Killua and Gone.

Kenten's smile didn't waver as he stayed silent for a moment before answering confidently. "You want money."

"Wrong…." I whispered right before there was an electrical buzz and Kenten stiffened but didn't make a sound. "The answer is: To help my family!"

Another 'ping'. Another point.

Kenten glared and said his question with more bite than he had before. "Can you think of a crime that is punishable if attempted but not punishable if committed?"

I paused and thought for a moment but I couldn't come up with anything. I tensed and braced for the pain.

"I don't know." I answered and not even a moment later there was a searing pain burning a path through my hand, up my arm and to my shoulder. I screamed and tried to writhe away from the shock, wanting so badly for my hand to be free.

The pain was over in moments but it had felt like years of intense torture as the 40 Hz shock ran through my body. When the electric current did stop, it left my arm feeling hot and tingly like an intense case of Pins and Needles.

I was hunched over my podium, my free hand clenched in pain as I panted.

"Suicide." Kenten stated with mirth. He gained another point.

_It was 2-2 with 8 questions to go._

"Who…Who do I love most in the world?" I whispered out harshly.

Kenten scrunched up his face. "Your parents." He answered and I grinned in satisfaction when he threw his head back and cried out as the electricity hit him.

"Wrong…" I mumbled and straitened back up. "I have no parents. I love my siblings most in the world."

And there was that satisfying little 'ping'.

Kenten took a moment to catch his breath before firing another riddle at me. "What loses its head in the morning and gets it back at night?"

I took the time to think and grinned at how simple it was. "A pillow." I answered and was relieved to hear a 'ping'.

_2-4. 5 more questions._

Kenten glared at me in rage and I just smirked at him.

"Who are my parents?"

Kenten's reply was instant. "I don't' know."

He screamed and his hair stood on end when he was shocked with 70 Hz.

"I don't know either…" I whispered and was shocked as well. I grit my teeth and twitched violently as I screamed through my teeth. Neither of us got a point.

My arm was trembling uncontrollably from the electricity running through it and I felt sweat running down the side of my face.

"Having one…means having something to follow but… once you question it, it means having none. People seek it but some do… and some don't find it. What is it?" Kenten wheezed out.

"A purpose." I answered nervously.

I earned another point.

_2-6 now, with only 3 more questions._

"What do I see when I look at you?" I questioned, forcing my face to remain blank as I looked at him.

"An obstacle keeping you from your goal." Kenten replied blankly, his face going blank as he earned a point.

_3-6. 2 questions._

"What's a question that gets asked a lot and has many different answers to it?"

"This question." I screamed as 110 Hz hit me. My arm had lost all feeling by now but the pain was still there.

"What is your name…" Kenten corrected.

_4-6. Last Question._

Kenten rose his head. "I forgot to mention that the last question shocks you with 200 Hz and is worth 12 points, think of a good one, or you'll fail and die~"

I grit my teeth at his sing song tone. So everything we had done up until now was worth nothing.

I took a deep breath and steeled myself, deciding to give him a taste of his own medicine.

"What can be swallowed but can also swallow you?"

Kenten blinked in surprise and shock. "I-I don't know." When Kenten was shocked he didn't even have the strength to scream. Once it was over, he collapsed to the ground as the smell of burnt skin and hair filled the air.

"Pride." I whispered to the collapsed man.

_4-7._

'I win…'

The restraint around my wrist released and my arm fell limply at my sides. The look of the scorched fabric of my sleeve making me afraid to look at the skin underneath.

The door behind Kenten suddenly slid to the side and revealed two more doors. I walked over to them, not even sparing the smoking corpse of the inmate a glance.

"Press 'O' for the Path of Lies or 'X' for the Path of Majority Rules…" I read out, my voice raspy and dry from the screaming.

I couldn't manage to lift my right hand so I lowered my left hand down and pressed the 'X' button yet again. I walked through the door and travelled down a short corridor before coming across a door with another sign.

"Please wait patiently?" I read out then leaned heavily against the wall, feeling light headed as my vision tunnelled for a moment.

I waited for about half an hour before the door suddenly slid open and I heard the voice of Lippo. "However, before you enter the room I would like to introduce you to another applicant who will be joining you for the remainder of the Majority Rules Path."

My eyes widened as I saw the eight people on the other side of the door. To one side was what looked like five inmates, one dead on the ground. While on the other side was the people I had been longing to see.

Gon, Kurapika, Leorio and the Box-nosed guy from the beginning of the Exam stared at me wide eyed as I took a step forward, while Killua's eyes had narrowed at the singed arm that hung limply at my side.

"Killua…Gon…" I croaked out as I stumbled forward only for my vision to tunnel and fade in and out as the world turned topsy tervy. Before I could hit the ground I felt a pair of arms catch me. I looked up and could only make out the colour white before I lost consciousness.

**HunterXxXxXHunter**

I woke up to the sound of fuzzy voices buzzing in my ears.

"Are you sure she'll be okay?" Was that…Gon?

"I'm sure, even though I don't know much, I know enough to know she'll be alright with some rest. The worst of it's her arm…she won't be able to move it for a week at least." That was definitely Leorio.

"I wonder how it happened…" That calm tone couldn't be anyone but Kurapika.

"Wow, the hell cares?" Box-nose.

I groaned and opened my eyes slowly, squinting at the bright light above me. "What…..Guys?" I croaked, my voice sounding worse than it had before.

"AH! Kuragi, you're awake? Are you alright?" A spikey head of hair appeared in my vision and I flinched back in surprise.

"Gon, back up. You're too close." I smiled at the sound of Killua's voice and looked around for him, only to find his face above me, his bright blue eyes staring down at me.

"Hey…Sorry, I wasn't exactly careful." I apologised to the albino, only to get an eye roll in return.

"Idiot." He grumbled at me.

I suddenly felt whatever I was lying on shift and I glanced up a Killua with a blush. "I'm not…lying on your lap am I?"

I saw Killua's cheeks turn a slight pink and he pouted. "Why? Got a problem with that?"

I stuttered in surprise. "Uh, um No! I-I Don't I just-!" I took a breath and calmed down, looking away with my cheeks still flaming. "I'd like to get up now…"

Killua sighed and I felt a hand on my back help me sit up before moving me off his lap and sitting me beside him on the legless couch.

"So," Leorio said, breaking the silence. "How are you feeling?"

I snorted weakly. "Well, I can't move my arm and I feel like I was shocked with 15,000 volts of electricity. So I'm feeling perfectly fine." I muttered sarcastically as I squirmed to get comfy on the couch. There was a tense silence as everyone digested the information and I glanced down awkwardly, taking notice that my hoodie was sitting on my lap as a blanket and that there was a makeshift sling around my injured arm, keeping it from being jolted.

"If you don't mind me asking…" Kurapika asked politely and broke the silence, "What exactly happened on your Path?"

I sighed and rubbed my forehead as I felt a headache coming on. "Well…"

I explained the Path of Thought to them. How the inmate had used nothing but riddles as his questions and the fact that if we answered wrong, or couldn't answer at all, we were electrocuted. By the time I was done, Leorio was grinding his teeth together in rage, Gon was frowning and looking sad, Kurapika's bangs were hiding his face and Killua was sending my injured arm a dirty look. While Tonpa just sat there and looked at his nails casually.

"Oh, by the way, Leorio?"

Leorio stopped grinding his teeth together and looked at me. "Yeah? What's wrong?"

"I heard you talking about my injuries before, think you could give me the diagnosis again, Doc?"

Leorio looked a little pleased at his new nickname before he cleared his throat and began to speak. "Well, you've suffered nerve damage in your right arm and shoulder so I doubt you would be able to move it for a while and you've suffered Second Degree burns, though I've already applied some ointment so it isn't as bad as it could be. You'll be feeling weak because of the amount of electricity that passed through your heart so you should rest and avoid moving around as much as possible." Leorio paused and rubbed his forehead as he sighed then looked back up at me with sad eyes. "It's a miracle you're even alive. An AC shock of at least 60 Hz can kill someone. You survived a total of 160Hz, more than double that amount."

I let out a shaky breath as I stared at him with wide eyes. 'I-I really could have **died**…I **should **have died.' I shuddered at the thought.

Leorio narrowed his eyes at me. "If you want my personal opinion, you should drop out of the Exa-"

"NO ONE ASKED FOR YOUR PERSONAL OPINION, LEORIO!" I yelled, glaring at him as anger flared within me before looking down slowly and gripping my injured arm to calm myself down.

"Quitting…." I whispered, trying to hold back the desperation in my voice. "Quitting is not an option…I need to pass the Exam, no matter what it takes."

I felt someone rest a hand on my shoulder and give a light squeeze and I smiled.

Killua.

I cleared my throat and tried to change the subject. "So where are we anyway?"

"We're in a waiting room. We have to stay here for 50 hours." Killua explained, dropping his hand from my shoulder.

Without thinking, I grabbed his hand with my uninjured one, blushing as I avoided looking at him. He didn't pull his hand away.

"And, why are we staying in here for 2 days?" I asked in awkwardly, trying to steer the attention away from our joined hands.

'What the hell had gone down on their end?'

I saw Leorio look away with a blush on his face as he went to go busy himself with something else. Kurapika sighed and went off to go read a book while Tonpa was grinning to himself as he turned away. I looked at Gon and Killua with a raised eyebrow.

Killua looked at Leorio with a sour expression. "During his match against a female inmate, Leorio gambled away 50 of our hours. Most of them were lost on a bet on whether or not she was actually a woman."

I scrunched up my face at Leorio. The jackass just had to have thought with the wrong 'head' at the most crucial time, didn't he?

"That idiot." I grumbled before turning to Gon and Killua. "So, what do we have to do for fun in here?"

The two boys shrugged and I sighed, pushing myself up slowly. "Well then, what are we waiting for? Let's check the place out!"

"Yeah!" Gon cried and lept to his feet, dashing off to search the room.

I went to move after him but my legs buckled and I collapsed, onto to be caught by Killua and helped back into a sitting position gently. I sighed and leaned back against the couch before peering up at Killua in defeat.

"I'm going to have to stay here, aren't I?" I asked, already knowing there was no way he was going to let me move from this spot.

Killua narrowed his eyes at me and frowned. "Stay. You need to rest. I don't want your injuries to get worse." With that, he turned and began to search the room with Gon.

I sighed and turned so I was laying down, staring up at the ceiling.

This was going to be a **very** boring50 hours.

**HunterXxXxXHunter**

After a while of watching the boys search the room we had learned that there wasn't even a single thing remotely entertaining. The TV in the room worked but it didn't have any channels, there were books but they were mostly about survival and philosophy and most of the food provided in the fridge had already been scarfed down by box-nosed Tonpa.

Now, I was sitting up on the legless couch and watching Killua teach Gon the fancy trick he had done on his skateboard. I felt my arm begin to twitch again and glanced down at my arm, flinching when I saw the red branching burns and darkened skin. My arm had been having spurts of uncontrollable twitching since I had woken up but after I had asked Leorio about it he had told me it was a normal symptom of nerve damage. I frowned and gently held my arm still, the twitching unnerving me.

"Shut up!"

My head shot up as I heard Leorio shriek. He was standing above Tonpa with his fist raised, looking royally pissed off.

"You don't even want to be a Hunter!" Leorio shot at Tonpa, who continued to sip his drink. "You only care about ruining our chances."

I narrowed my eyes as I saw Tonpa smirk to himself right before a saw a familiar yellow skateboard going flying over his head and smash into the wall. I spun around to star at Gon as he laughed nervously.

"Hey!" Leorio yelled at him. "What are you doing!?"

Gon scratched the back of his head and sent him an innocent smile. "Sorry!" He chirped and I rolled my eyes.

"Don't skateboard in here!" Leorio finalized and I heard Gon whine.

After that, the hours passed by slowly until the lights in the room dimed. Everyone assumed it was because it was getting late so we all settled down to sleep.

I laid in between Gon and Killua as we shared one of the couches as a cushion. Leorio and Tonpa were snoring away while Kurapika, Killua and Gon were sleeping peacefully. I tossed and turned, trying to get comfortable without putting pressure on my injured arm but I quit and sat up slowly, trying not to wake up the two boys beside me.

I stiffened when I felt Killua shift and glanced down at him. His blue eyes were staring up at me, glowing in the darkness.

"Sorry." I whispered. "Did I wake you?"

Killua shook his head as he sat up as well. "No. I'm not tired. I could go with days without sleep if I wanted."

I frowned at him and felt sad. "It must have been hard." I whispered sadly.

Killua gave me a confused look. "What?"

I turned to face him fully and crossed my legs, grabbing his hand and cupping it loosely. "Training to be an assassin all your life. It must have been hard."

Killua shrugged and flipped his hand to hold mine in his. "Not really."

I sighed then suddenly realized his outer shirt was missing before quickly glancing at the makeshift sling around my arm. "Hey, is this your shirt?"

"Yep." Killua popped the 'p'

I smiled and blushed. "Thanks…"

"Can't sleep?" I jumped as Kurapika spoke to us.

I quickly whipped my hand out of Killua's in embarrassment, blushing heavily. Killua sent me a sad look before turning to Kurapika.

"That's not it." He replied simply. "I could go days without sleep."

Kurapika nodded in understanding before he looked up at the timer that sat above the door. "10 hours have passed, huh…"

Killua glanced up at the timer as well. "It's hard to tell since there aren't any windows but it's probably morning."

I groaned and slumped back down onto the couch. Had I really stayed up all night?

I yawned and glanced at the sleeping Gon, only to pause and smirk. He was no longer breathing deeply and his eyelids were constantly moving. He was awake.

A pillow suddenly sored over me and towards Gon, only for the 'sleeping' boy to catch it and throw it back. I caught the slight twitch of Gon's lips as he tried to hide a smile.

I grinned and grabbed the pillow off of Killua, sitting up and grinning as I pegged it at Gon as hard as I could.

Gon's eyes opened as he caught it this time before he sat up and pegged it back at me. I ducked with a squeal, grinning like a mad man. Killua must have caught the pillow because it was sent right back again.

The pillow fight somehow escalated into a wrestling match between the two boys and I retreated away from the couch to avoid being dragged into it.

"Oi….Pipe down." Leorio's tired voice called out and I grinned when the boys paused in their wrestling match and laughed.

"Let me sleep some more." The older ten whined again.

I sent a sneaky look at the two boys before snatching a pillow and standing, making sure my legs were strong enough, before I inched my way over to Leorio sneakily and loomed over him. He must have felt my presents because he opened one of his eyes and looked at me.

Leorio's eyes widened when he saw me. A slit second later I slammed the pillow into his face. He ripped the pillow away from his face and threw it to the other end of the room before turning away from me.

"You're lucky that you're injured or I'd-" His threat was cut off when one of Tonpa's feet was shoved in his face.

I laughed along with Gon, Killua and Kurapika when Leorio scrunched up his face in disgust before sitting up and marching up to Tonpa and getting in his face.

"Bastard, you better not be pretending to sleep." Leorio hissed venomously before backing away.

I giggled even harder when I saw Tonpa open one eye and smirk.

I managed to make it back to the couch the boys and I had been sleeping on before collapsing, feeling weak and tired.

"Damn, now I'm wide awake." Leorio groaned as he sat down and glanced at the clock. "And we still have 40 hours left?"

I yawned and blinked my eyes tiredly, I could defiantly use some sleep. I was suddenly pulled down until my head rested in something soft and warm. I looked around in confusion and realized I was in someone's lap.

"Hey, wha-"

"Just go to sleep."

Too tired to argue, I fell asleep in Killua's lap.

**HunterXxXxXHunter**

I woke up when I felt my head shift sharply. I yawned and rubbed the sleep out of my eyes before looking up.

I saw Killua peering down at me before blushing lightly. He had Gon's Fishing Rod in his hands. "Eh, sorry. Did I wake you up?"

I shook my head and sat up, glancing at the timer above the door. We still had more than a day to go.

We spent the day doing anything even mildly entertaining.

The two boys had finally tried my roller blades but the shoes had just barely fit them so they only did one lap of the room each before taking them of. I had to decline using Gon's rod because of my arm and Leorio refused to let me try Killua's skateboard.

Again, the day passed by and we all slept again. Though I kept waking up to Leorio's snoring before I just threw a pillow at him and yelled at him to shut up before finally passing out for the last time.

The next day was even worse than the last.

Killua, Gon and I kept getting into pillow fights, though I was banned from them after Gon hit my injured arm and made me double over in pain. I had to stop Killua from strangling the poor boy as he gave him an earful.

Leorio and Tonpa were trying to out-stink each other with their putrid socks while Kurapika kept on reading, already through more than half of the books in the room.

As the hours ticked by the boys become more restless, resorting to doing handstand push ups to keep themselves occupied while I just sat there and gapped at them like a fish. Even though my arm was getting better I could still only move my fingers slightly so even attempting a normal handstand was out of the question.

Eventually we were down to our final four hours, Gon, Killua and I resorting to childish hand games as entertainment.

When Gon failed to get his hand through Killua's he got a flick to the head.

"Oi!" I spoke up, raising my hand. "Lemme try already!"

Killua glanced at me with uncertainty before sighing and turning to me, holding out his hands. I waited for a moment before pulling a few feints then shot my hand down. I almost made it through but Killua caught my thumb.

Killua grinned and me as I pouted at him before he raised a hand and flicked my forehead. I flinched and rubbed the sore spot, glaring at Killua.

The albino just smirked and stuck his tongue out at me.

Finally, we were down to our final minutes in the room, all of us ready to go. I stood next to Killua and stared at the door in anticipation. My hoodie was tied around my waist since I couldn't risk moving my arm to put it back on.

"Okay…" Gon said determinedly. "Ready to go!"

It was a tense final moments before the door finally moment and Gon took off.

"Oi! Wait for me!" I laughed and ran after the boy, wincing slightly with each step. I could see Killua sticking close behind me out of the corner of my eye, ready to catch me in case my legs failed.

We ended up running in a circle for half-an-hour before we found the right path.

We had to ride an insane mine cart which made my stomach churn, run through a room with a collapsing floor and run away from a giant bolder before we encountered the next Majority Choice door.

Though, by the end of it all I was exhausted, my legs ached and I was feeling light headed but I shook it off because I was sure we were close to the end.

I stared at the door in confusion. The sign told us to choose whether or not to open the door.

"We're supposed to vote on whether or not to open the door?" Leorio asked my silent question. "We need to move on so obviously we open the door."

Everyone raised their stopwatches and pressed their buttons but the tally didn't show up. Everyone looked around in confusion before Leorio's gaze zero'd in on my own watch.

"I guess Kuragi needs to vote now, as well." He sighed.

I frowned as I held up my watch, I couldn't press the button. A hand reached over and pressed the 'O' button. I blushed as I looked up at Killua.

"Th-thanks."

The tally showed: O-5 X-1

Someone had voted to keep the door closed.

Leorio suddenly spun around and grabbed Tonpa the collar of his shirt. "I've had enough of your crap." He growled at the box-nosed man.

"Wait, I pressed 'O'" Tonpa shot back.

"Don't lie!"

My brow ticked as I began to get annoyed at their bickering. The door had already opened anyway so who the hell cared about who pressed what.

"Uh, sorry Leorio." Gon spoke up with a guilty expression on his face. "I accidently pressed the wrong button."

Leorio sighed and backed away from Tonpa. "Oh, I see."

"Wait. You owe me an apology!" Tonpa spoke up, anger in his voice. "I can't let that slide."

I tensed as Leorio spun around and was back in Tonpa's face.

"It's your fault for doing things that making me distrust you. I don't owe you anything." Leorio grit out.

"You make it sound like I'm to blame for everything that's gone wrong. Have you forgot who cost us those 50 hours? You're the one who made a critical mistake. Not me"

I could see Leorio's rage building with each word Tonpa spoke. I began to fear that a fight would break out.

Kurapika stepped forward and pulled Leorio away from Tonpa, speaking as he did so. "Hey, Leorio-"

Leorio shrugged off Kurapika's hand and snarled at the blond. "Shut up, Kurapika!"

I could see the hurt plain as day on Kurapika's face and I felt anger build in me. Anger at Leorio for hurting a friends feeling. Angry at Tonpa for provoking Leorio. Angry at this **goddamned **tower and its stupid trials!

I stomped forward with a glare and snarled at the two as they readied for a fist fight. "Oi! Jackasses! Get your head out of your asses and get them in the game! Stop bickering like a pair of fucking children! THE DOOR IS OPEN SO CAN YOU PLEASE SHUT THE FUCK UP SO WE CAN GET GOING!?"

The two man stared at me in a stunned silence, their arms dropping to their sides.

"U-um….It's my fault for pressing the wrong button anyway…" Gon added in quietly.

"Idiots." I heard Killua mumble and saw him slip into the next room out of the corner of my eye.

"Wait! Killua!" Gon cried after him just before the albino stuck his head back out with a smirk.

"Hey, Gon, Kuragi…We're getting close to the goal."

Gon spun around completely. "What! Really!?"

His shout drew the attention of the other boys and they all turned to Killua before going to check out the room for themselves.

I sighed and headed through the door but as soon as I stepped through the room started giving me the creeps.

The walls were lined with weapons and there was a statue of a weeping woman above the steel doors, one marked with 'O' the other with 'X'.

Killua began to read out the sign. "This will be the last decision made by majority rule. Are you ready? Choose 'X' or 'O'…That's it…"

We all voted, me getting help from Killua again, only for the score to show up as O-5 X-1.

"Bastard-"

"Stop it!" Kurapika cut off Leorio before he could have another go at Tonpa. "We don't have time to argue about this!"

I stepped forward. "Kurapika's right. We have less than an hour to get through this tower, let's just all shut up and get going."

Suddenly, there was a mechanical beeping before the voice of the Third Examiner filled the room.

"Please chose a path. There are two choices; One path allows six to pass, but is long and difficult. The other path allows only three to pass, but is short and easy."

My heart sunk and I clenched my fist.

'Oh, please. Please don't tell me…'

"Incidentally…" The examiner continued. "The long and difficult path requires a minimum of Forty-five hours to pass. While the other path takes around three minutes to complete. Press 'O' for the long and difficult path or 'X' for the short and easy. However, if X is selected two people must be secured to the wall while another waits in this room with them before the door will open."

I froze and my blood ran cold as I realized what this meant.

'No…No, I don't want to leave any of them behind!'

"The three chosen will be unable to move until the rest of the time limit has run out."

I saw Tonpa and Leorio eyeing the weapons on the walls and I began to shake. I stumbled back, only to bump into someone. I looked behind me with wide eyes only to meet Killua's soft blue ones. I gulped as he stared at me before stepping around me and coming to stand in front of me. Was he protecting me?

"The Examiners were very prepared." Killua spoke up. "I think they have ever weapon under the sun here."

"Three out of Five…" Kurapika mumbled to himself and my heart dropped even more. "So we're supposed to fight, to decide who passes?"

"Let me make this clear." Leorio suddenly spoke up in a cold tone. "I'm going to press 'X'. But I have no intention of staying behind. I'll do whatever it takes to be one of the three who pass…"

"You're shameless." Tonpa sneered as he circled around to behind Leorio. "Had you not wasted 50 hours, we could have taken the long path. Shouldn't you take responsibility and stay behind?"

My heart sped up when Leorio became enraged. He turned to Tonpa with a fist raised. "What!?"

"I'm sure everyone agrees." Tonpa added in as he looked at all of us.

"Hold on a second." Gon butted in, a determined expression on his face. "I'm going to press 'O'."

I smiled at the boy's kind honesty, glad he wasn't thinking selfishly.

"We made it here together. I want us to pass together. Even if it's a big risk, I still want to give it a shot!" Gon finalized.

Killua sighed and held up his watch. "Hey, hey. You can't really call this a risk. We have less than an hour."

I glanced at my own watch and realized he was right.

"Gon, there's only one choice, if you want to pass the Exam." Killua's tone was serious.

"There you have it." Leorio stated, eying the weapons again.

"Now we have to decide on how to choose which three pass." I gulped and took a nervous step back before Killua continued. "Well, I'm planning on them being Kuragi, you and I."

My heart skipped a beat and I blushed when he said my name. I sighed and relaxed slightly and stepped around Killua to stand beside him, only to tense back up when I was yanked back a second later. An axe embedded itself in the floor where I was previously standing.

"Tonpa! That was dirty to swing at a kid!" Leorio screamed as said fat man picked his weapon back up and glared at him.

My heart hammered in my chest when I saw everyone tense for a fight. Even Killua had stepped forward, his hand now morphed into sharp looking claws.

As Tonpa lashed at Leorio, Killua took a threatening step forward, towards the box-nosed man as a deadly bloodlust surrounded him. I lept forward and caught Killua's clawed hand, the nails digging into my palm enough to make it bleed.

"No!" I exclaimed as the two man fought and everyone yelled at each other. "Don't fight! Not you too!" I tightened my grip, the nails digging into my hand more as I leaned forward and rested my forehead against the back of his neck.

"Please…" I pleaded quietly, just wanting everything to stop. For everything to go back to normal.

I felt Killua slowly relax before his claws retracted and he squeezed my hand. "Alright."

I watched as Tonpa's axe was suddenly knocked out of his hand and went flying into the wall, embedding itself there before Tonpa pulled it back out again.

My eyes widened and I ignored the fight as it continued.

'The weapons…'

I saw Gon pick a weapon off the wall and knew he had realized the same thing.

'They could break the walls!'

"Wait!" Gon cried out, making the fighting man pause. "I have a plan! But you all need to trust me."

Leorio looked at the boy sceptically before backing down, making Tonpa do the same. "What is it, Gon"

Gon grinned and held up the weapons. "First, we all have to press 'O'!"

Leorio, Tonpa and Kurapika gave him untrusting looks for a moment before reluctantly pressing the button. I saw Killua press his before turning around and pressing mine for me.

The door opened and Gon rushed in, beginning to dig at the wall. I grinned at his quick thinking and grabbed my own weapon, only to have it taken away from me by Killua. I pouted at him and he frowned at me.

"You have to rest, remember?" He reminded me and I just sighed and followed him into the path, watching as everyone dug through the wall. Once there was a big enough hole, I pushed past them and stepped through.

"Alright, let's-" I froze when my footing slipped out from under me and I fell. I felt someone grab my hand to pull me back up but I only pulled them down with me. As I fell, my eyes adjusted to the light and I realized we were sliding down a long slid.

"WHO THE HELL DECIDED A SLID WAS A GOOD IDEA!" I yelled as I continued down.

When I got to the end I moved out of the way just in time to avoid Killua slamming into me. The door in front of us opened and I rushed through, a bright light greeting me.

"Kuragi, applicant #100, is the twenty-first to pass."

I sighed and practically collapsed to the ground in relief.

I had passed.

**Review and you'll make me a very happy cookie!**

**Got any questions guys? If so, feel free to ask!**

**Also, some Killua x Kuragi fluff for you guys, hope you liked it!**


	5. Fourth X Phase X Begin!

**RESPONSE TO **_**KagamineBanana:**_

**Oh yeah,, I was screaming at them through my screen the first time I watched that part**

**.**

**RESPONSE TO **_**Caliope07**_**:**

**Thanks! Kuragi had long red hair, usually in a bun, and one blue eye and one green eye. She would normally be wearing a panda themed hoody but because of her injured arm it's tied around her waist. Her injured arm is in a sling made from the fabric of Killua's shirt. She's also wearing black shorts with a yellow strip and ripped tights as well as sneakers. Her nose is also broken so it's bruised and swollen.**

**.**

**RESPONSE TO **_**the pandypandas**_**:**

**Thanks, I had to resort to google to find good riddles, ehehe. Yeah, I tried the riddles on my brother and he got them all wrong X3**

**.**

**RESPONSE TO **_**Guest**_**:**

**He is so adorable I just want to eat him up! Oh, feel free to murder Tonpa, no one will miss him anyway! **

**.**

**Still not the owner of Hunter x Hunter…**

**.**

_/5/ Hunter X Or Be X Hunted Part 1  
_

Soon the others joined me in the room. All of us feeling relieved, though Leorio and Tonpa were fighting **again.**

I grinned and stood up straight, looking around the room, looking to see who had passed. I shuddered when I spotted Hisoka grinning like a creeper in the corner then flinched when I spotted the dead body of another applicant.

There was a sudden mechanical 'beep' and I glanced down at my watch.

72 hours were officially over.

"The Third Phase of the Exam is over." The announcement chimed. "Twenty-seven applicants have passed while one has died."

The door to our right began to open and sunlight filled the room.

"Yes!" I cried and ran outside, desperate to get to fresh air. Though, as soon as I got outside I stopped and stared.

Standing outside was a short and grinning man with a Mohawk and glasses. I could hear the other applicants gather around outside as well.

"Ladies and gentleman; congratulations on having escaped Trick Tower." The man with the Mohawk spoke and I recognized him as Lippo, the Examiner. "Only the Fourth Phase and Final Phase remain."

Excitement and relief welled up inside me and my shoulders slumped. 'SO close….I'm so close.'

Lippo lifted a hand and pointed to a far of island over his shoulder. "The Fourth Phase will take place over there, on Zevil Island. Let us proceed."

Lippo snapped his figures and a man with rather…interesting ears came forward, pushing a box with him. Once the box was positioned beside him, Lippo spoke again.

"I will need you to draw lots."

"Lots?" Someone questioned.

"What for?" Another applicant threw in.

I felt a sense of dread as I took a wild guess at what we were going to be doing. 'We're going to be hunting each other, aren't we?'

At my own terrifying thought, I removed my badge and discreetly stuffed it down my shirt and into my bra.* Out of the corner of my eye I could see Killua staring at me with and odd face and a blush on his cheeks. My own cheeks flared and I looked down at my feet in embarrassment that he had seen me do that.

Lippos's smirk turned malicious as he answered the questions. "To determine who will hunter and who will be hunted."

I took a sharp breath and glanced at my friends, hoping I didn't get any of them as my target.

"In here are twenty-six numbered cards." Lippo continued, gesturing to the box. "In other words, your ID numbers are on those cards. Now, I need you to each draw a card, in the order by which you exited the Tower. Will the first person please step forward?"

Hisoka stepped forward with a smirk and my eyes widened when I spotted the bloody wounds on his shoulder and waist. His path must have been difficult.

Hisoka drew a lot before returning back to his place.

Next the Pin-head guy stepped forward and I shuddered. That guy still creeped me out to no end.

The lots continued to be drawn until it was my turn. I stepped forward nervously and heard a few of the applicants whispering about my injuries and the fact that a **little girl **had passed. I grit my teeth and shoved my hand into the lot box, drawing out a card before spinning around and sending the whispering applicants a glare as I walked back to my place beside Killua. I examined my card in confusion, there was a removable seal on my card, preventing me from sing the number.

Once Tonpa drew his lot, Lippo instructed us to remove the seals.

Everyone did as told and I heard a few gasps and whines from the other applicants while I held my breath and removed the seal, staring down at my number.

#198

I let out a baited breath, greatly relieved that it wasn't anyone I knew but also annoyed at the same fact. I had no idea who I was going to be hunting and I didn't want to risk looking around encase I drew my target's suspicion.

"The cards indicates your target." Lippo explained, confirming what I had guessed.

I watched with slight amusement as everyone began to hide their tags like I had done long before now.

Lippo put his hand on the lot box and continued to explain. "This box has recorded which card each of you drew. This means you are free to dispose of the cards if you wish."

After he said that, the card in my hand followed my tags example and was stuffed down my shirt.

"The objective is to steal you target's ID tag."

"Oh, so we can kill each other?"

I started to panic at the asked question. If we were allowed to kill this phase was about to get a whole lot more bloody.

"Naturally, you're free to use any method you choose to steal the ID tags. Including killing the target and getting the tag off their corpse." Lippo ruled.

I noticed that a few of the applicants looked a little too happy at this revelation.

After an explanation on what ID was worth what, we all boarded onto a boat and began to head towards Zevil Island.

I was leaning silently on the railing of the boat, watching as the island came closer. I had attempted to scout out my target but by the time everyone had boarded they had all removed their tags.

"Yo." Killua suddenly appeared at my side, making me jump when he leaned on the railing next to me. "Gon got Hisoka."

"Hey-WHAT!?" Killua slammed a hand over my mouth to shut me up. He shushed me before taking his hand away.

"Shut up! Do you want the whole ship to hear?" He hissed at me and I stuck my tongue at him in retaliation.

"But seriously, he really got Hisoka?" I mumbled and Killua nodded. "Good luck to him then…"

There was a brief moment of silence as we stared out at the island.

"So…" Killua drawled. "Who did you get?"

I shrugged. "I have no idea."

"Same."

I backed away from the railing and pulled the card out of my shirt, showing it to him.

"Show me yours?"

Killua shrugged and pulled his card from his pocket, showing it to me. #199

"They're a number away from each other." The albino pointed out as well both tucked away our cards again. "Anyway, I'm going to get going, see ya."

Killua backed away from the railing and sent me a lazy wave before he walked away. I let out a huff and lent my chin on my uninjured arm, staring at the Island.

When we finally docked at the island the curator of the boat stepped forward with a stopwatch in her hand.

"Thanks for your patients, everyone. We've finally arrived at Zevil Island!" She exclaimed to the crowd of applicants in her overly cheery voice. "Now, please disembark in the order by which you cleared the Third Phase."

A few people grumbled about this as the woman held up the stopwatch in her hand.

"After each person disembarks, we'll wait two minutes before the next person will leave." She explained.

I sighed and sat down. Getting ready for a long wait. I could see Killua and Gon a little ways from me, standing towards the back of the group.

Half an hour passed.

"The Nineteenth person may start!"

A woman with her black hair in two pigtails stepped forward and sighed before heading off the boat and disappearing into the forest.

I watched two more people go before it was my turn.

"The Twenty-first person may start!"

I grinned and stood, stretching my sleeping legs before moving to get off the boat. A hand caught mine before I could make it to the front of the crowd. I turned and saw Killua behind me.

"You're in no condition to travel alone so you'll be sticking with me. After you get of the boat take 1000 steps North then turn due West by 35 degrees before continuing another 1000 steps. Find the nearest hiding spot and wait for me there, got it?" He mumbled quietly to me.

I nodded and he released my hand, letting me go. As soon as I took a step of the boat I started continuing my steps, almost losing count a couple of times before I finally reached 1000. I paused for a moment to estimate a 35 degree turn before continuing on another 1000 steps.

I stopped and looked around me, all I could see were a bunch of trees and shrubbery. I found a large enough clump of bushes and hid inside them, waiting patiently for Killua.

After a while I heard the sound of approaching footsteps and relaxed.

"About time." I huffed and exited the bushes, turning to great my albino friend. "You know, you could have-"

I saw the glint of metal and ducked just on time to avoid a knife, though it sliced through my hair tie and some of my hair, making it come lose and fall down my back messily. My eyes widened as I realized it wasn't Killua.

There stood there girl with two pigtails. She was glaring at me, a knife held up defensively as another stayed strapped to her leg. I noticed that she hadn't bothered to hide her tag.

#111[1]

I took a cautious step back and raised my hand slowly. "Hey now, I don't want any trouble. You're not my target!" I tried to reason calmly but the woman shifted her foot forward, getting ready to charge.

"No, I'm not." #111 snarled and dashed forward with her knife raised. "But you're mine!"

I lept back to avoid her knife only to for my back to hit a tree. Luckily for me, her knife only just clipped my ear and dug into the tree trunk. I ducked under her arm as she pried her knife from the tree and ran as fast as I could. I could feel the warm blood running down the side of my face as I ran, my hair getting in my eyes and making it hard to see.

I was suddenly yanked back by my hair roughly and thrown to the ground. I cried out as my arm collided with the ground. Before I could push myself up and run, #111 had me by the hair as she forcefully dragged me up to my knees. She yanked my head back, forcing me to look at her as she placed the knife against my throat. Out of the corner of my eye I spotted her other knife strapped to her leg and got an idea.

"No hard feelings." She growled as she pressed her knife into my throat, "I'll just do whatever it takes to pass this Exam."

My eyes hardened at her words.

"So will I."

Before she had time to react I grabbed the knife strapped to her thigh and pulled it from its sheath, slashing through my hair and jumped as far away from her as I could. My head felt lighter and I flinched.

'Palm is so going to kill me for cutting my hair…'

#111 stared in shock for a moment before she sent me a deadly glare and tightened her grip on her knife. She dropped the large lock of red hair in her grip and took a threatening step forward.

"You little bitch." She hissed and I narrowed my eyes at her. I wasn't going to run away this time.

I clenched the knife in my hand tightly, trying to get a better grip with my non-dominant hand, before I shot of towards her. But I had moved slower then I should have and #111 had managed to deflect my attack with her own blade, knocking the knife out of my hand.

My eyes widened and I was suddenly pinned to the ground, her knife to my throat again as she sat on my hips and pinned my only good hand above my head. I tried to twist out of her grip but I was too weak to even budge her.

I stopped breathing when she raised her knife and I began to panic, thrashing as hard as I could.

'No….I don't want to die. I still need to pass. I need to get back to Palm and Akallu, they need me! I can't die here!"

"Please." I whimpered pitifully, begging for my life as I began to cry.

She brought her knife down and the world began to move in slow motion. I shut my eyes tightly.

"NO! I DON'T WANT TO DIE!"

I felt something wet and warm splash on my face before the weight on top of me suddenly disappeared and I opened my eyes in surprise, only to choke in shock when I saw Killua standing above me and glaring off to my right. I opened my mouth to try and form a coherent sentence but the only thing that came out was a relieved sob.

I shot up and pounced on Killua, wrapping my arms around him and burying my face in his chest as I wailed and hiccupped into his chest. I felt Killua wrap his arms around my waist awkwardly.

"I-I was so scared." I sobbed. "She was going to kill me. I was going to die. I DON'T WANT TO DIE!"

I wailed and hiccupped into Killua's chest as the tears just kept coming, never stopping. Eventually, I began to calm down and pulled away from him as I still sniffled. I wiped the tears from my face and took a shaky breath.

I turned to look over my shoulder, wondering what happened to #111. I only just managed to catch a glimpse over severed limb and blood before Killua grabbed my chin and forced me to look at him.[2]

"Don't look." Killua ordered, still holding my chin. I nodded, feeling the blood drain from my face when I realized I had just seen a dismembered arm and feared for what the rest of the body looked like.

Killua released my chin with a sigh before he scooped me up in his arms and began to walk. I didn't even had the energy to blush, too emotionally drained. I relaxed and watched Killua's face as he walked.

There was blood splattered on his face and I could see a dark look in his eyes.

**A little shorter than usual but that's only because I don't have much time and I wanted to update.**

**That's right, I gave Anita a cameo. (From thee 1999 anime)**

**Killua went a little over board.**

**Any comments? I would really appreciate some reviews.**


	6. Hunt X Or Be X Hunted

**Hi everyone! Oh, I just read all your reviews and I'm feeling all flustered, you guys are too nice I swear! Anyway, I hope you don't mind too much that last chapter was so short, I've been running out of personal time lately but I'll be packing in the chapters over the weekend so don't worry!**

**.**

**RESPONSE TO **_**Thepandypandas:**_

**Well, I try my hardest to update everyday but since I'm getting busier it's gonna start taking a few days for me to update. Though, getting reviews does help motivate me to type more.**

**RESPONSE TO **_**Enemotou**_**:**

**Hello~!**

**Oh my gosh, thank you!**

**Yeah, I actually ship Killua x Gon as well, though I'm satisfying my fangirl urges and pairing him with my own character X3.**

**Oh, thank you for pointing that out. I'll take your suggestion into consideration (might end up even using it in a later chapter .) What's weird is that I wrote this chapter before reading the reviews and I had noticed that I was making Killua a bit too caring myself, so I made him kinda tsundere-ish in this chapter.**

**Thank you for your support and I hope to hear from you again!**

**.**

**RESPONSE TO **_**Lil' Ms Nameless**_**:**

**Heehee, did I freak you out, thinking Kuragi might die or something? :3**

**.**

**RESPONSE TO **_**lolipopbubblegum**_**:**

**Oh~ I love your name so much X3**

**My fluff is my fanservice. I'm glad you like Kuragi, I thought long and hard on her character. **

**I deserve more reviews? Daw, you're too nice!**

**.**

**RESPONSE TO **_**KagamineBanana**_**:**

**I have nothing to input so here, have a kitten!**

**:3**

**.**

**I don't own Hunter x Hunter.**

_/6/ Hunt X Or Be X Hunted Part 2._

After a while of walking in an awkward silence I began to squirm uncomfortably, making Killua pause and look down at me with a scowl.

"What are you doing?" Killua asked, annoyance in his tone.

"I-uh-I can walk on my own, now." I answered back quietly and a little hesitant.

Killua 'tched' and set me down before beginning to walk off again. I frowned at his back for a moment before beginning to follow after him.

"Uh, thanks for carrying me! Again…" I mumbled awkwardly.

All I got was a grunt in response.

We continued on, the silence gnawing at me and making me feel uncomfortable. I looked around restlessly, trying to distract myself only to catch a glimpse of someone as they hid behind a tree. I walked quicker to catch up to Killua.

"Killua, there's someone following us." I told the albino hurriedly.

Killua shrugged and continued to walk, stuffing his hands in his pockets casually. "I know." He replied lowly. "They're most likely following us because I'm their target. Just ignore him, he isn't going to make a move anytime soon."

I nodded and tried my best to ignore the person following behind us, especially when they messed up and stepped on a twig or their footsteps were too heavy.

Soon Killua and I found ourselves and a particularly dense part of the forest, the canopy above blocking out most of the sunlight. I squinted in the dark, finding it hard to see, and I tripped on a tree root. I regained my balance before I could fall flat on my face only to hear a sigh come from Killua. I looked up and saw he had stopped to wait for me.

I laughed nervously and walked up to him. "Sorry about that, we can keep going…"

Killua turned to look at me with a frown. "Are you sure you can walk on your own? You'd probably walk off a cliff with how danger prone you are."

I bristled at him and growled. "I can walk on my own!"

I stomped past him angrily, deciding to ignore the albino for the time being.

It wasn't until late into the night that I began to feel tired. I yawned loudly and rubbed my eyes, trying to stay awake as we continued to walk. Killua sighed and stopped walking, turning around to me.

"We'll stop here. You'll be completely useless tomorrow if you're dead on your feet." Killua said as he sat down against a tree.

I nodded slowly and made myself comfortable against another tree trunk. I stared at the stars above as I frowned, thinking.

'Why is Killua acting so cold all of a sudden? Was it because we were being followed or….was it because he had to save me?'

My mind flashed back to that moment and I shuddered. If it hadn't been for Killua I would be dead right now. I clenched my fist tightly and frowned down at my injured arm and the cuts I had gotten from the knife fight. I had been weak and afraid. I would have died.

I glanced up at Killua and saw him staring off to the side, probably watching the person following us.

I sighed and sat up, pulling my knees to my chest while being mindful not to hurt my arm. I waited in silence for a moment before I swallowed down the lump in my throat and began to speak.

"Thank you for saving my life back there, Killua." I paused and looked down at my feet, frowning. "It must have been so **easy **for you."

There was a moment of silence before I peeked at Killua through my lashes. I saw him looking at me with a thoughtful look before he shrugged and crossed his arms.

"Yeah, she was weak and barely put up a fight so it was easy to take her down."

I frowned in disappointment at his comment. 'Weak, huh?' I felt a sudden feeling of uselessness wash over me and tears stung my eyes. I clenched my teeth together in frustration and held back the tears.

"Even after making it this far, I'm still weak." I whispered, trembling with the effort to hold back my tears. "I wasn't even strong enough to beat a woman with a knife…"

I hunched forward and the tears finally fell, my shoulders shaking as I sobbed.

"I needed you to come save me, just like during the First and Second Phase! I'm probably nothing but a burden to you!" I wailed and buried my face in my knees.

I suddenly felt a sharp pain on my forehead and I looked up, teary eyed, and spotted a scowling Killua looking a little flustered.

I blinked. He'd flicked me.

"Geez, idiot. Are you stupid or something?"

I sniffled and wiped my eyes. "Wh-what?"

Killua looked away awkwardly.

"You're a not a burden or anything like that. Just…stop crying. It makes you look ugly."

I bristled angrily at Killua's remark, all past comments forgotten. "Oi! The hell did you say!?" I lunched a fist at Killua's shoulder but the albino just dodged out of the way, grinning like a cat.

"Nyehee~, missed me!" Killua taunted as he kept dodging my attacks.

I huffed and sat down again, leaning against the tree. "Hmph, whatever! I'm going to sleep!"

Though, as I laid back down, my back to Killua, I couldn't help but smile.

'Thanks, Killua, for cheering me up.'

**HunterXxXxXHunter**

For the next few days we spent most of our time walking around the island, only stopping to catch some fish to eat or to sleep during the night. It wasn't until the fifth day did I start getting impatient.

"Killua~" I whined as I trudged behind the albino. "Come on, we've been walking aimlessly for days, when are we going to find our targets?"

Killua paused in his step, staying silent.

"Killua?" I questioned and he turned around, looking over my shoulder and into the forest.

"You're wasting your time!" Killua called out and I realized he was talking to the applicant that had determinedly followed us these past few days. "I'll never give you an opening to attack."

All was silent but I managed to pick out a quiet chuckle and I rolled my eyes. "This guy is probably so full of himself." I muttered bitterly.

Killua sighed and began to walk past me. "Man…If you're not gonna show yourself I'll just come to you! What a pain…you're only worth one point to me."

I grinned at the shrubbery Killua was heading towards when I saw it tremble slightly. The applicant was probably scared shitless.

"Oi, make this quick please, we still need to find my tag ya know!" I called and lent against a nearby tree.

There was a brief moment of silence before two applicants appeared from the forest, one in yellow and the other in red, neither of them noticing us. I blanched when a guy in blue fell from behind the bushes in surprise when he spotted the two others.

"Bro!" He stuttered out and Killua paused in mid-step.

'Brothers, huh? That means their numbers should be close to each other….I wonder…'

The red one spoke to his cowering brother. "We ran into a little trouble."

"You're done, right?" The one in yellow added in.

'You know, I think I'll just call them by their colours.'

That's when they both finally took notice of me and Killua. They glared at their other brother and advanced forward, scolding him.

"You idiot!" Red yelled, kicking his brother and sending him flying to Yellow, who knocked his brother upside the head.

"Can't you even beat two little kids!?"

I snickered at the brothers in amusement. 'Now that's some tough love, poor guy.'

The brother in blue tried to defend himself but his brothers would have none of it.

"You're lying through your teeth!" Yellow hissed at Blue.

Blue stuttered for a moment before he sighed in stood. "F-fine. If you insist, that leaved me no choice…" He turned and narrowed his eyes at Killua, grinning as he cracked his knuckles. "Time for a beat down, kid."

I watched as Killua let the wimpy guy approach him and demand his tag. "If you hand it over, I promise not to hurt you and your little girlfriend."

I bristled and my face flamed. "Hey, I am **not **his girlfriend!"

They all ignored me and I went back to leaning against the tree, muttering bitterly to myself as I continued to watch.

"Stupid~" Killua drawled to Blue, who raged in response and I flinched when he sent a solid kick to Killua's stomach and sent him flying.

"Don't say I didn't warn you." Blue mocked as he grinned in victory.

"Must hurt like a bitch." Yellow hollered.

It probably would have hurt like hell if it had been any other person getting kicked in the gut, but this was Killua the trained assassin. He was most likely fine. My belief was confirmed when Killua hopped back up, his hands still casually inn his pockets.

I grinned at the three guys smugly as they all looked on in disbelief. I looked to Killua again and saw him pull a tag from his pocket and I grinned even wider.

'Did he get his target's tag?'

"#198, huh?"

I paused and blanched. 'M-my target….was this guy?'

I went to take a step forward to collect my tag but Killua casually pocketed again. He better have been planning to give it to me later. "Since it's only a number off from the one I'm after, maybe #199 is one of your two buddies?"

I saw the brothers' stances shift and they began to walk around us, getting into positions. Red stayed in front while Yellow and Blue circled around to either side pf us. I moved away from my tree when Blue got a little too close for comfort.

The three brothers were tense as they stared at Killua, tensing for an attack. I prepared to defend myself in case any of them came after me but I doubted I was the one they were after right now.

Suddenly, Killua vanished and reappeared behind Red in a blink of an eye, knocking his knees out from under him and holding a clawed hand to his throat threateningly. All the brothers were, and even I, was caught off guard but the sudden development.

"Don't move." Killua ordered the tense brothers calmly. "My fingers are sharper than knives."

To prove his point he dug a nail into Red's throat lightly, making a small trail of blood drip down his throat. All the brothers were beginning to sweat and I could practically taste their fear in the air.

Killua used his free hand to search through Red's pockets until he found his tag, a sour expression on his face.

"Huh? You're #197?" Killua whined. "I'm so bad at guessing these things…"

I rolled my eyes at the pouting albino, seriously doubting that was the case. He probably just wanted to play with them after so many days without any action.

Killua turned his eyes to the one in yellow, who tensed under his gaze. "Hey, are you #199?"

Yellow nodded slowly. "Yeah…"

"Hand it over."

Killua held out his hand for the tag and Yellow complied, tossing it too him.

"Thanks. Now for the tags I don't need."

My blood ran cold as Killua tossed one of the other tags one way then the second one in the opposite direction with enough force to create a sonic boom.

"M-My tag…." I whimpered out. "You-"

Killua appeared in front of me and grabbed my wrist, turning to the horrified brothers with a grin. "See ya!"

Everything was a blur as Killua zipped away from the brothers, dragging me along with him. When we finally stopped I had to sit down and had to wait for the world to stop spinning before I suddenly remembered something.

I lept onto my feet and glared at Killua. "YOU SO OF A BITCH! YOU THREW MY TAG AWA-"

Killua suddenly thrust something into my mouth with a scowl. "Here, shut up."

As he began to walk away I spat what even was in my mouth into my hands and my eyes widened. It was the #198 tag. I narrowed my eyes at the casually walking boy and ran after him.

'The jerk tricked me on purpose…'

"So whose tag did you throw away?" I questioned as we continued to walk.

"#111, I took her tag just in case it would come in handy." Killua replied with a shrug.

I blanched, feeling stupid. "Oh….So, where are we going now?"

"Back to the start, we have two days left. It'll take the rest of today and tomorrow if we walk through the night to make it back on time for the end of the exam."

"That means I won't get to sleep?"

"Yeah."

"Goddamnit…" I grumbled but didn't complain, we were so close to passing.

**HunterXxXxXHunter**

Killua had been right, it had taken us a full two days and a night to make it back to the starting point, though the trip there had been dull and uneventful since I was way too exhausted and tired to start up a conversation and Killua just wasn't the type to start up a conversation in general.

As soon as we had found a good enough place to wait for the exam to end I had laid down and muttered a "Wake me up when it ends." Before passing out for some much needed sleep.

"Oi, Kuragi. Get up." I groaned and swatted at the source of the annoying voice.

"Fiwe moar minush…" I mumbled sleepily and rolled over, trying to go back to sleep.

"The Phase is over. If you don't get up I'm going to leave you here and you're going to fall."

My mind suddenly registered what was being said and I shot up. "What!?"

"Come one idiot, we gotta head down to the boat." Killua explained and began to walk away. I huffed and followed after him, rubbing the sleep from my eyes in annoyance.

By the time we made it to the boat other applicants had already arrived. I frowned when I din't see Gon, Kurapika or Leorio.

"You think they'll make it?" I asked Killlua, worried for my other friends. All I got was an indifferent shrug.

The curator stepped off the boat and held up a clipboard with a smile. "We will now check the tags of everyone here!"

She began to check off the remaining applicants and there points, Killua and I included, though I was slightly disappointed when I realized the pin-head had passed. He still crept me out.

I waited nervously, hoping Gon and the others would arrive soon. Just as I was about to give up hope the curator spotted something behind us.

"Ah, three more arrive at the last second!"

I spun around and spotted my three friends with relief. "Gon! Kurapika! Leorio!" I ran over to the tree and hugged all of them the best I could. "I thought you guys weren't going to make it!"

All of them chuckled.

"Glad to see you made it, kid." Leorio said with a smile, ruffling my hair.

I pouted at him and knocked his hand away. "Don't call me a kid, old man!"

Leorio bristled at me. "Why you-"

The curator cleared her throat behind us and Leorio and I laughed in embarrassment.

''Sorry…"

After that, the woman marked off the three before we were all assured onto the boat and taken back to the other island, where the air carrier was waiting for us yet again.

Once we boarded, Killua and I went to the dining hall for some snacks while the other three went off to have their own private conversation. I slightly wondered about what happened to them during the last phase.

I piled my plate high with deserts and sweats before finding a place to sit and chowing down, though Killua had wondered off after eating a sandwhich. I pouted.

"Why'd he has to leave me alone now? What if I run into Hisoka, or worse, Pin-head…" I shuddered at the thought and shoved another bite of cake into my mouth.

'Hehe, Akallu would be loving this, I think he'd gorge until his was ready to pop.'

I smiled sadly at the thought of my younger brother who was waiting for me back home.

'Just one more Phase, then I'll be home to see you again. I promise I'll come back with enough money to give you the life you deserve….'

I glanced down at my half-full tray and frowned, having lost my appetite. I stood and emptied my tray into the trash.

"I have an announcement for all remaining applicants."

I stopped what I was doing and listened in, curious.

"The chairman wishes to interview the remaining candidates. When your number is called, please come to the first reception room on the second floor. We'll start with #44, Hisoka."

I blanched and sat down again. There was going to be even more waiting.

"#100, Kuragi-sama."

I shot up in my seat, almost falling over. I had been just about to fall asleep when I was called. I grumbled as I stomped out of the dining room.

I found my way to the reception with little to no trouble, only getting lost once.

I knocked on the door and waited impatiently.

"You may come in." Chairman Netero called from the other side and I slammed the door open in annoyance.

I grumbled as I sat down in front of him. "Can we please make this quick, I'm tired and would like to take a nap."

Netero chuckled at me and I glared at him. "Shut up! Oh, that reminds me, you broke my goddamn nose!"

Netero smiled down at me. "Oh, did I? I'm very sorry about that."

'Bullshit.'

I clenched my fists and glared at him. Waiting for him to just hurry up and answer the questions.

"Right, right." Netero sighed, getting the message. "First, I would like to congratulate you on being the only girl to make it this far into the Hunter Exam."

I swelled with pride. "Thank yo-"

"Even though you've gotten yourself beaten to a pulp."

I bristled at the chuckling old man. "Just get on with it!"

"Very well. First, why do you want to become a hunter?"

I stared at the old man for a moment before sighing. "I want to become a hunter so I can use the money and privileges to take care of my family." I answered honestly. "Though, I'm also taking the exam to try and get stronger."

The chairman nodded. "Next. Which of the other ten applicants are you keeping an eye on?"

I paused to mull over my answer for a moment. "#99, #405, #404 and #403. They're my friends and I hope they all pass."

Netero smiled down at me before continuing. "Which of the other ten applicants would you least want to fight?"

"#301." I answered immediately. "Something about him puts me on edge, and I'm not prepared to find out what it is. But I'd also prefer not to fight #99, #405, #404 and #403."

"Yes, yes." Netero hummed as he wrote down my answers. "You may go now."

I sighed and stood, exiting the room with a yawn.

I was ready to pass out and sleep the rest of the day away.

**I think I'm going to edit this later and add chapter 5 and this one together.**

**Anyway, got anything to say? Any questions? If so, review bellow! **

**I'll see ya next time!**


	7. Final X Phase X Drama

**RESPONSE TO **_**Enemotou**_**:**

**Heehee, thanks. But I still worry that someone might just give up on my story because the chapters are too short, it's happened before.**

**Thanks, guess I'm a natural tsundere writer XD**

**Hope you'll like the way I wrote this, It took me a few hours and a crap ton of editing to get it the way I liked it.**

**.**

**RESPONSE TO **_**KagamineBanana**_**:**

**Hmmm, I added more Brotherly Leorio in this, I like the idea of Leorio thinking of Kuragi as a younger sister and vice-versa.**

**.**

**I Still Don't Own Hunter X Hunter**

_/7/ Final X Phase X Rumble / Failure X Is Not An X Option / Killua X Walks X Away_

I ended up sleeping throughout the whole trip to the Final Phase. Leorio had found be just before we landed and woke me up.

Right now all of the remaining applicants and I were standing in the lobby of a hotel, awaiting to be informed about the Final Phase. The air was thick with anticipation.

All the past examiners were in the room with us, watching with forlorn faces. They obviously knew what was going to happen and didn't think it was good.

Chairman Netero finally began to speak.

"This hotel is owned by the Hunter Exam Selection Committee. The place is all yours until the battles have concluded."

"Wait….battles?" I question quietly, the last Phase were going to be matches?

One of the body guards began to roll a board over to Netero but it was covered by a cloth so we had no idea what was under it.

"For the Final Phase, we will be holding a one-on-one tournament."

I gulped and steeled myself, if I had to fight any of my friends then so be it, I would. I needed to do this for my family and family comes first. I glanced at Killua and Gon out of the corner of my eye. They were both staring evenly at the Chairman.

Netero reached over to the board and yanked the cloth off, revealing the board for all to see. I looked at the bracket in confusion. It was completely unbalanced but it wasn't too surprising, this was the Hunter Exam we had expect the unexpected. However, the bottom of the board was covered so we couldn't yet tell who was fighting who.

"So only the last person standing passes?" Leorio questioned hesitantly.

Netero shook his head. "No. One win is all you need to pass."

Everyone visibly relaxed at the revelation that only one of us would fail.

"The winners are removed from the competition, while the losers continue up the bracket. In other words, the one that finishes up the top will not pass."

I remained tense as I stared at the board intently. Even though I would have more chances to pass didn't mean I would. Everyone here was insanely strong and throughout the whole Exam Killua had been doing almost everything for me. Hell, the one thing I had done on my own had left me with an almost completely useless arm. I wasn't physically strong in any sense and I had low stamina from my underdeveloped muscles, meaning there was a very high chance that I was going to be the one person to fail.

"And here is the bracket." Chairman Netero said as he removed the seal over the applicants' matches.

I quickly searched for my image and sagged in relief when I wasn't up against anyone I knew. I was versing #226; a rather brawny man in a wolf-skin vest that bared his wide chest and loose pants with wild and untamed hair. I glanced at the man in question and he was grinning at me with razor sharp teeth.

I gulped and looked away, observing everyone else's matches.

Gon was up first against #294. The loser of my match was up against the loser of Gon's.

I glanced at the green clad boy and saw him calmly staring at the board, I hoped I wasn't going to end up fighting him.

"Impressive, right? After all, everyone has at least two chances to win." The Chairman piped up smugly.

Applicant #53 spoke up at this. "But some people, like #294, #405 and #100, get a lot more chances."

Applicant #191 spoke up next. "Why didn't you use a balanced bracket?"

Netero hummed. "That is a question that must be on everyone's mind. This bracket is based on all of your performances throughout the entire exam. Those who performed better received more chances."

I frowned at the old man. 'If that's so, why am I based do high? I barely preformed at all….so why-'

"That doesn't sound right." Killua cut off my thoughts. "Can you explain how you scored our performances?"

I glanced at the Chairman curiously, wanting to know as well.

The chairman seemed to think for a moment. "NO!" He shrieked and I shrunk back in surprise.

"Why not!?" Killua shot back, making the chairman chuckle.

"Your scores are classified information. So I can't tell you everything. However, I can explain our methods."

Everyone peaked up and payed attention.

"First, we consider three major criteria; physical strength, metal strength, and overall impression."

I raised an eyebrow. I had definitely failed in the physical strength but I had no idea if I had passed for mental strength and impression.

The chairman continued. "For physical strength, we use an aggregate of agility, flexibility, endurance and perception. For mental strength, we use and aggregate of resilience, adaptability, judgment and creativity. However, this information is only used as a reference point. After all, most of you were strong enough to advance to the Final Phase on your own."

I saw the Chairman's eyes flicker down to me at this and I flinched back, slightly ashamed that I had needed help to get to where I was standing now.

"However, we are most concerned with your overall impression. This refers to any intangible factors not previously mentioned." The chairman chuckled. "You could consider this as an evaluation of your potential as a Hunter. And we also incorporate the opinion of your peers. That was our process."

Netero's explanation had me asking more questions than it answered. I was definitely out for physical strength, probably only gaining points in agility, and mental strength even though I had resilience. So it was most likely my impression and the opinion of the rest of the candidates that got me ranked so high, what I didn't get was why I was matched up against a brut when it was obvious he outclassed me in all things physical. I would be faster than him in the very least but that was it.

"The battle rules are simple." The chairman spoke up, getting back on track. "Weapons are allowed. No cheating. If your opponent admits defeat, you win. However! If you kill your opponent, you will immediately be disqualified. All remaining applicants will pass and the exam will end. Are we clear?"

Everyone remained silent.

The bodyguard next to Netero spoke up.

"Then, we shall begin the exam's Final Phase!"

We all moved to one side of the room while Gon and #294 moved to the middle in preparation for their match. They stared each other down for a moment.

"The first match is Hanzo Vs Gon. I will serve as the referee, good luck." The bodyguard announced, only to be stopped by #294, Hanzo.

"Can I ask you a question?"

"What is it?" The bodyguard asked.

"We only win if our opponent surrenders, correct?" The bodyguard nodded to his question. "It doesn't count if we knock them unconscious. No TKOs allowed, either?"

"Yes, that is correct."

I let out a slow breath at the information. I was beginning to have even less of a chance at passing.

Hanzo glanced down at Gon and soon the match began.

. . . . . . .

Three hours had passed since the beginning of Gon's match and I was trying to force back tears as I watched the poor boy getting beaten over and over and over again. The atmosphere in the lobby was grim as we all watched Hanzo land another blow to Gon and send him sprawling to the floor.

"Get up." Hanzo demanded.

Tears finally began to pool over as I watched Gon struggling to stand. He reminded me of my younger brother in so many ways. His bright personality, his unbreakable determination and his unrelenting will to reach his goal. It was so painful to watch Gon getting beaten down.

"Enough, already…" I heard Leorio grit out, the older teen had been just barely holding back his rage for most of the match. "I'm gonna kill you! I'll fight you in his place!"

I flinched when Hanzo turned to the enraged man with an annoyed look.

"If you can't take it." Hanzo muttered darkly. "Leave. It's only going to get worse."

Leorio walked forward threateningly only to be stopped by two bodyguards that informed him that if anyone interfered, Gon would be disqualified.

"It's okay…"

Everyone turned their attention back to Gon when he spoke, finally rising to his feet slowly.

"Leorio. This is…nothing…" A sob worked its way up my throat and I clamped a hand over my mouth to stay quiet. Gon needed to see my support, not my weakness. "I can….still fight…"

My eyes widened when Hanzo swiped Gon's feet from under him then held his hand behind his back.

"I'm going to break your arm." Hanzo spoke calmly and everyone tensed while Gon's eyes widened. "I'm not joking around, so give up."

Gon stayed silent.

"Surrender!" Hanzo said firmly, adding pressure to Gon's arm.

"Never!"

I looked away and I heard the loud crack as Hanzo smoothly broke the boys arm. Surprisingly, Gon was able to stay quiet as he writhed on the ground while holding his broken arm.

"There you go. You can't use your left arm." Hanzo stated as he towered over the boy, making me look at my own useless arm, I was still only able to move my fingers and wrist.

"I'm sure you're in too much pain to listen, but hear me out." Hanzo continued as he lowered himself into a handstand. "I am a descendant from the shinobi, a clan of covert agents."

As Hanzo continued to talk he rose himself onto less and less fingers until he was standing on only one. "From the day I was born, I was forced to endure harsh training in order to master the art of ninpo."

I saw Gon struggling to rise as Hanzo continued on about his life.

"By the time I was your age I had already killed a man." I glared at the bald shinobi in disgust. That was nothing to be proud about, or to brag about, it was something that could scar a child. "At this point in time you cannot defeat me in combat. I'm trying to be nice. Admit defeat-"

Gon was suddenly up and landing a solid kick to Hanzo's face, sending him tumbling over. Gon whined when his broken arm collided with the floor, only to sit back up with an annoyed expression.

"My head's cleared a bit, after all the pain and that long explanation." Gon exclaimed as he stood, holding his arm.

"Yeah!" I cheered, feeling relief wash over me. "Go, Gon! Kick 'im while he's down!" **(I legit didn't even mean to directly quote Leorio here, lol spooks.)**

"If you're eighteen then you're only six years older than I am!" Gon pouted. "Besides, this isn't a battle to see who's stronger. It's to see who's willing to surrender first!"

Hanzo hopped back up, nose bleeding as he glared at Gon. "I let you kick me on purpose." He stated calmly and I felt my blood boil.

"LIAR!" Leorio and I managed to shriek in unison as we both pointed accusingly as the self-proclaimed shinobi.

"You don't understand…" Hanzo continued on, completely ignoring us as he wiped the blood from his lip. "This isn't a warning. It's an ultimatum. Was it too hard for you to understand? Here, I'll make it easier for you."

Hanzo began to pull a blade from beneath the bandages on his arm before swiping the blade in the air a few times as practice shots. "I'll cut off your legs," He stated. "So they can't be reattached."

Gon's eyes hardened as he stared at Hanzo.

"A permanent injury should help wake you up. But first, I'll ask you once more; surrender."

Gon continued to stare at Hanzo evenly. "I won't accept that!"

Everyone in the audience froze and I snorted, trying to keep in my laughter.

"I don't want my legs cut off," Gon continued. "But I don't want to surrender either! So let's find another way to fight!"

Hanzo seemed a little annoyed at his answer. "Hey…Do you understand your situation?"

Everyone busted up laughing, me along with them as I tried to hide my laughter behind my hand. "That….That is such a Gon answer!" I bellowed as I gave in and doubled over, laughing with mirth.

"You don't get to make demands!" Hanzo fumed, only fuelling the laughter. "Are you trying to insult me!? I'm seriously going to cut off your legs!"

"But I still won't surrender." The laughter quietened down as Gon continued to speak. "Besides, if you do that, I'll bleed to death." Gon looked to the bodyguard behind the fuming Hanzo. "He'll be disqualified if that happens, right?"

"O-oh, yes!" The bodyguard stuttered out, flustered.

"See? Neither of us wants that to happen so let's think of a better way."

Hanzo glowered at Gon, gritting his teeth to try and keep in his rage. He stepped forward and pressed his blade against Gon's forehead, making a small trail of blood drip down his face.

"You really don't get it…" Hanzo muttered darkly. "If you die, you'll never get another chance. If I kill you here, I need only try again next year. We are not on equal footing!"

Despite Hanzo's threatening words, Gon continued to star at him evenly.

I grinned, Hanzo wouldn't even consider killing the boy, Gon had already won and we all knew that.

There was a tense silence as Gon and Hanzo stared each other down. Hanzo grit his teeth.

"Why won't you concede?" Hanzo asked bitterly. "It's easy to do. You can try again next year."

Gon didn't respond.

I grinned, there was no way in hell Gon was going to back out now and try again next year. He was going to find his dad. That was why he was here in the first place. I admired the boy's bravery.

"YOU VALUE YOUR PRIDE MORE THAN YOUR OWN LIFE!?" Hanzo yelled and dug the blade even deeper into Gon's forehead. "YOU'RE REALLY WILLING TO DIE FOR YOUR PRIDE!?"

"Wrong~!" I called out with a smirk, waiting for Gon to fill Hanzo in.

"I'm going to find my dad." Gon stated, staring Hanzo down.

"Your…dad?" Hanzo asked in confusion.

"My dad is a Hunter." Gon explained. "So I'm going to become a Hunter and find him! I believe that I'll find him one day….But I have a feeling that if I give up now, I'll never find him!"

A dropped of blood dripped off of Gon's chin and hit the ground with a quiet patter.

"So I won't surrender." Gon finalized.

"If you don't yield, you'll die…" Hanzo's voice was beginning to waver.

There was a pause before Hanzo pulled his blade away from Gon's forehead, putting it away before he backed off and cracked his knuckles.

"I give up. You win." Hanzo conceded and a grin split across my face. "I can't kill you but I can't think of a way to make you surrender. I'll take my loss and take my chances in the next battle!"

"Yeah! Gon!" I yelled and fist pumped the air.

"I can't accept that. That's not fair!" Gon exclaimed suddenly and I blanched.

"Eh? What are you talking about, Gon!? Just except the win goddamnit!" I yelled at the stupid green clad boy.

"No way, Kuragi!" Gon yelled at me before turning back to Hanzo. "We both have to think of a way to settle this fight!"

Hanzo's eyebrow started twitching as he smirked and looked over his shoulder at Gon. "Heh, I knew you would say that…" Hanzo spun around and got in Gon's face. "You idiot! There's no point because you'll never surrender!"

I completely agreed with Hanzo, if he hadn't surrendered this match would have had the potential to go on for days.

Gon glared and yelled right back. "But I don't want to win like this!"

"What am I supposed to do then!?" Hanzo shot back.

"We can work together to figure it out!"

Hanzo grunted and stood back up to his full height, his eyebrow twitching again.

"In other words, I've already given up on this match, but you want me to try and win again, while helping to determine a way to make you feel good about your victory! Am I right?"

"Uh-huh!" Gon answered cheerily and I cracked up all over again.

My laughter didn't even stop when Hanzo knocked Gon out with one punch, to be honest, the simple-minded boy had it coming.

Eventually, I had to calm down because everyone had been staring at me. I wiped the tears of mirth from me eyes, still chuckling slightly. "I-I'm sorry…It's just, so Gon like!" I managed out before Hanzo continued to talk.

"I lose. Let's move on to the next match." Hanzo muttered.

My heart lept into my throat and I glanced at my opponent, who was smirking at me maliciously as he cracked his knuckles.

"But." Hanzo continued. "I want to tell the executive committee something first. When he wakes up, he'll probably refuse his license because he's a stubborn boy, as we've seen. Only one person will fail this phase, right? If Gon fails, wouldn't that make the rest of ours fights meaningless?"

I smiled and sent Hanzo a thumbs up. "Even though you just beat the shit out of one of my friends I agree with you 100%!"

"Don't worry. Gon has passed." Chairman Netero assured. "Nothing he says can change that. If Gon were to throw a fit and Kill me, we still wouldn't be able to revoke his license."

"Very well." Hanzo sighed and made his way back to the sidelines, only to be stopped by Killua.

"Why did you let him win?"

I glanced at the albino curiously. "What are you talking about?" I asked but the boy ignored me, making me bristle. "Oi-!"

Hanzo cut me off. "Let him win?"

I bristled even more and was about to yell at the bald man for cutting me off but Killua spoke up again, in a much darker tone.

"I'm sure you knew a way to make Gon surrender without killing him. Given your skills."

The whole room was silent as everyone stared at Killua. My eyebrow began to twitch as I glared at the albino boy in anger.

"Oi! Don't say something like that! Gon's your friend, you should be supporting his win wholeheartedly, not saying that Hanzo should have won!" I seethed angrily, stepping towards Killua threateningly. "Take it back!"

Killua stared at me with a scowl before scoffing and looking away. "Why? It's true."

I ground my teeth together in annoyance and prepared to pounce on the boy only for Hanzo to speak up again, catching our attention.

"When I torture someone, I expect that person to hate me for the rest of their life." The bald man explained. "It's more effective and less stressful. When someone's in pain, their eyes show a gleam of hostility towards the one responsible for that pain. Even with extensive training, it is difficult to supress that gleam of hate and rage but there was no gleam in Gon's eyes. Can you believe it? I had just broken his arm but his eyes had already forgotten about that."

I grinned. "Of course there wasn't. Gon's not that type of kid, he's too warm-hearted and kind! He isn't the type to hold a grudge."

Hanzo glanced at me with a hint of amusement before turning back to Killua with a serious expression. "I guess you could say he won me over. If you need a reason, there you go."

With that, Hanzo turned and walked away to stand at the end of the line.

"Now, we shall continue on to the next match." The referee spoke up. "Will applicants #100; Kuragi and #226; Berkinz, please step forward."

My burly opponent stepped forward with a grin and cracked his knuckles while I stayed rooted to the spot. I began to shake as I stared at my opponent in fear. He looked like he had the raw power to rip me limb-from-limb.

I felt someone pat me on the back then push me forward lightly. I turned and saw Leorio giving me a thumbs up and an encouraging grin, Kurapika smiling next to him. "Go get 'im, Kuragi!"

I sent them a weary smile before taking a deep breath and stepping out into the middle of the room, wincing when I spotted drops of Gon's blood splattered across the floor. I stopped and faced the large man with an even grin.

The beefy man- Berkinz- looked down at me blankly before bursting out laughing. The ground shook with the force of his laughter.

"I thought the brackets had been lying, but they're really putting me up against a kid!" Berkinz bellowed in a deep voice before he sneered down at me. "Give up, kid. I won't hold back against you."

I stared up at Berkinz, a cold sweat trickling down my forehead as I swallowed thickly. "Like hell I will, Beef-head."

The referee stood in between us and raised an arm. "Ready? Begin!" He lept away to a safe distance.

Before I even had time to react a fist was slammed into my gut and sent my flying into the opposite wall, winded. I crumbled to the floor, wheezing as my chest constricted painfully. I grit my teeth and looked up, seeing Berkinz strolling over to me, a smug grin on his face.

"See, little girl? You're no match for me, you'll never win. Just give up now so I don't have to waste my time with bashing your face in." Berkinz sneered.

I glared at him and got to my feet, trying to ignore my aching stomach. I glanced down at my injured arm before carefully moving it from the sling, I could move it just not very quickly. I clenched my fist a few times before staring Berkinz in the eye.

"Screw you, you over grown ape!" I spat before leaping forward as fast as I could manage.

I could see Berkinz smirk at my head on attack and get ready to intercept it. I smirked and side stepped around him, bouncing off of one of the support columns and ricocheting back towards him.

I saw Berkinz stiffen and just before he had a chance to turn around I kicked him in the head, using my momentum to increase the strength of the usually weak kick. Berkinz stumbled forward slightly and I dashed off again, aiming to knock out his legs this time.

"Yeah! Take the brute down!" I heard Leorio yell. I glanced at him out of the corner of my eye and smiled.

Big mistake.

By the time I turned my attention back to my fast approaching target I had realized too late that he had rose one of his legs with a malicious smirk.

I firmly planted the side of my foot on the ground and one of my hands to try and stop my momentum before I reached him but it was too late to stop now. As I passed under Berkinz, his foot came down with a crushing force onto my chest, halting my movements.

I wheezed and coughed up blood as Berkinz pressed his foot into my chest even harder. I reached up and tried to pry his foot off of me but it didn't even budge.

"I warned you. I'm not going easy. Last chance to give up before I crush your ribcage." Berkinz growled as he added even more force, making me cry out as I swear I heard something crack.

I panted and wheezed as I tried to breathe but the pressure was constricting my lungs too much. I could see black spots beginning to dance on the edge of my vision.

"Ne…ver…" I wheezed out, trying to stay awake as I mustered the hardest glare I could.

Berkinz sneered and increased the pressure even more but I could see confliction in his eyes as his sneer melted off his face. He suddenly sighed and backed away, taking his foot off my chest.

I took in a gulp of sweet, sweet air before rolling onto my hands and knees, coughing and sputtering as I rubbed my aching chest. It was definitely going to be bruised.

"I give! The kid's not gonna quit anytime soon and there's no way I can keep hurting her." Berkinz sighed, making me look at him in confusion.

His eyes met mine and he smiled at me softly before crouching down in front of me. "Sorry about all this kid, I didn't want to take it that far." He sighed and patted my head with one of his large hands. "I tried to scare you into giving up but when that didn't work I tried more drastic measures but you are just too damn stubborn and I didn't want to keep hurting a little girl. You deserve this win, you earned it. I'll take my chances with the next match."

With that, Berkinz stood and scooped me up, walking me over to a freaking out Leorio and a worried looking Kurapika before placing me down against the wall and walking back to his place in the line of applicants.

"Kuragi, are you alright!?" Leorio yelled in worry as he rushed over to my side. "Let me check your lunges, one of them could be punctured or collapsed."

I gave Leorio a nod of permission and he dug through his suitcase before pulling out a stethoscope. He put the plugs inn his ears before pulling my shirt away from my chest slightly and sticking his hand down my shirt, a serious expression on his face as he placed the cold metal over my chest. I shuddered at the sudden cold against my skin.

"Take a deep breath in." Leorio ordered firmly and I did as he said, wincing when my chest ached. "Now a deep breath out." I slowly exhaled.

Leorio listened for a moment before he collapsed forward with a sigh, a grin splitting across his face. "You'll be fine, the worst you'll have is one or two fractured rips and a lot of bruising. That'll heal in time, though."

Leorio ruffled my hair affectionately and I pouted but didn't move away, the familiar act reminding me of my older sister, Palm.

A felt a sudden sense of homesickness well in my chest. I would be home soon.

The referee suddenly cleared his throat and all attention was on him again.

"Right, now that the last match has been settled we will now start the 3rd match." The referee declared. "Will Kurapika and Hisoka please step forward?"

I sent my blond friend a weak thumbs up in support as he stepped forward, shortly followed by the creepy clown.

"Begin!"

The match started off on an equal footing, though, Kurapika was mostly just dodging Hisoka's attacks but never landing any himself. After a while of this going on, Hisoka suddenly leaned in close to Kurapika's ear and whispered something before backing off.

"I lose." Hisoka stated plainly before walking back to the sidelines.

I watched as Kurapika stood there for a moment, trembling, before, he to, made his way back to me and Leorio. I raised an eyebrow at the blond but all he did was look away.

'What was that all about?'

I decided to drop it out of respect for Kurapika but I was still curious.

The next match was Hanzo against applicant #53, Pokkle. However, after suffering a familiar experience to Gon and getting his arm pinned, he gave up instantly and Hanzo earned his win.

After them was Hisoka verse an older man by the name of Bodoro.

I watched on, impressed by the old man's skill in combat, but he was still getting his face smashed in by Hisoka. After a while of Bodoro not relenting, Hisoka repeated what he had done to Kurapika except the result was switched, Bodoro backed out in defeat.

As Hisoka walked back I sent him a curious look. 'The hell is he saying? Whatever it is I gotta know how he does it, it would totally come in handing when I'm conning people back at home.'

"Match Six! Will Pokkle and Killua please step forward?" The ref' called out.

I sent Killua a grin as he walked forward. "Go get 'em, Killu!" I called out, only to be ignored by the boy. I pouted and flipped off the boys back. "Jerk."

It turned out that my encouragement had been a waist, 'cause as soon as the match started Killua forfeited, leaving a frustrated but confused Pokkle behind. As the boy walked back to his spot in the sidelines I got up and made my way over to him with a scowl.

I stood in front of him with my hands on my hips, sending him a glare as he looked down at me with a questioning look.[1]

"Idiot!" I hissed as I flicked his forehead, making him glare at me.

"What?" He questioned.

"You should have won the match! Even though you and I both know you're ridiculously strong, you should have taken the win just in case!" I scolded, glancing at the person he would be facing after Leorio's match. "There's something about that guy that makes my skin crawl, he's obviously strong himself. I have a feeling there's more to him than meets the eye…"

Killua scoffed down at me before looking away. "Whatever, he may seem strong to someone like you but I can obviously take him."

'Someone like-'

I felt tears of anger prick at my eyes when I realized what he had implied. He thought I was weak.

I grit my teeth and crossed my arms as I turned and began to walk away, back to Leorio and Kurapika. "Well, whatever! I hope you lose your next match you arrogant prick! That ought to knock some sense into you!" I called over my shoulder.

I sat down next to Kurapika with a huff, angrily scrubbing the tears from my eyes.

"Are you alright?" Kurapika asked gently and I just shook my head.

"I'm fine." I growled. "I just have an annoying tendency to cry when I'm frustrated or pissed."

Kurapika looked at me for a moment more before turning away with an understanding nod.

"Alright, Match Seven shall be Leorio Vs Bodoro!" The ref' called.

"Hold on!" Leorio called out, not moving.

I glanced at the man curiously, wondering what he was doing.

"I'd like my match to be briefly postponed so the old man can recover from his injuries. It'd feel like cheating if I were fight him now, ya know?" Leorio explained and I smiled up at the kind-hearted man.

He was seriously too much like Gon at times.

The referee agreed to this since it was not against the rules before calling out the next match.

"#99; Killua and #301; Gittarackur! You're up!"

I glanced at Killua as he smugly stepped up after the pin-head, only to frown when I saw Gittarackur smirked down at Killua.

Something wasn't right here.

"Begin!"

I watched as Killua stepped toward Gittarackur with a sort of calm caution, but right before Killua reached him, Gittarackur spoke up.

"It's been too long, Kil."

The voice sent a sudden chill racing down my spine and I went wide eyed in fear.

Killua paused in his movements in confusion.

Suddenly, Gittarackur began to casually pull the pins from his face and I filched every time. But when all the pins were removed my stomach churned in a sickening fascination as Gittarackur began to morph and change.

When the transformation was complete, Gittarackur had transformed into a young looking man with wide emotionless eyes and long black hair.

I could see Killua break out into a cold sweat as he began to tremble.

"B-Brother…" Killua whispered out, obvious fear in his voice.

I snapped my gaze back to the older boy in front of Killua in shock.

'This was Killua's brother?...That means he was an assassin as well.'

I gulped and felt myself break out into a cold sweat as well. Killua was in trouble.

"Hey." Gittarackur said casually, no emotion in his tone or face whatsoever. "I heard that you cut up mom and Milluki."

I took a wild guess and assumed that this 'Milluki' person was Killua's other brother.

Killua smiled nervously. "I guess."

Gittarackur tilted his head at his brother. "Mom was crying…"

"Anyone would cry if their son did that to them." I heard Leorio mutter bitterly but decided to ignore him, focusing instead on Killua and his brother.

"Tears of joy." Gittarackur finished and I felt slightly confused.

'What?'

"She was so happy to see you'd grown up." Killua's brother explained calmly. "However, she was worried about you leaving home, so she asked me to check up on you. What a coincidence. I didn't know you wanted to be a Hunter. I'm actually trying to get a licence for my next job."

Killua looked down before he spoke up quietly. "I don't really want to become a hunter. I just felt like taking the exam."

I grit my teeth, still bitter about the real reason Killua was here.

Gittarackur stared at Killua for a moment before he spoke again, the air suddenly becoming tense and radiating a threatening aura.

"I see…That's a relief. Than I have some advice for you…You're not cut out to be a Hunter."

I saw Killua beginning to shake harder and a stood, ready to step in between the two if this got any worse. Something was wrong with Killua, I didn't know what but I knew his brother was the cause behind it. I didn't like it one bit.

"You were born to be…" Gittarackur continued, staring Killua down. "A killer."

I tensed and felt blinding rage running through me as Gittarackur made it worse still, as he continued to speak.

"You are a puppet of darkness, without passion. You don't want anything, or wish for anything. As one who lives in the shadows, you can only feel pleasure when people die. That's how Dad and I raised you."

I couldn't handle it anymore.

I took a few heavy steps forward, only to be blocked by two bodyguards. I grit my teeth before taking a deep breath and yelling at Gittarackur over their shoulders.

"THAT IS TOTAL BULLSHIT AND YOU KNOW IT!" I screamed, catching everyone's attention. "FEELING ONLY PLEASURE WHEN HE KILLS!? PLEASE, THROUGHOUT THE WHOLE TIME I HAVE KNOW KILLUA HE HAS SMILED AND LAUGHTED JUST LIKE ANYOTHER HUMAN BEING, AND NOT WHEN HE WAS KILLING SOMEONE! YA WANNA KNOW WHY!? BECAUSE HE'S JUST THAT; HUMAN!" I quietened down as I took in deep breaths, trying to calm myself down as tears of rage flowed down my cheeks and onto the floor.

I clenched my hands and continued, quieter than before. "Sure, he may not want to become a Hunter, but I bet he's here for a reason! Right, Killua?" I turned to the boy but he was just staring down at the floor.

Gittarackur turned back to Killua and tilted his head again. "Is this true, Kil?"

Killua was silent for a moment before he began to speak quietly. "It's true. I don't desire to become a Hunter. But…" Killua clenched his hands into fists. "I do have something I want-"

"You don't"

I had half the mind to yell at Gittarackur again but Killua beat me to it.

"I do!" Killua glared up at his brother. "There's something I really want!"

Gittarackur hummed. "Tell me what it is you want, then."

Killua suddenly looked down nervously, opening and closing his mouth as he tried to find the right words.

"Come one, Killua…." I whispered. "Tell him…"

"What's wrong?" Killua's brother questioned, somewhat smugly. "There's nothing you really want, is there?"

"That's not it!" Killua snapped at his words before they both became silent again.

I waited nervously for Killua to speak.

"I want to become friends with Gon…and Kuragi…" Killua muttered.

My heart skipped a beat when I heard him say my name and fresh tears began to gather in my eyes, though it was for a much more positive reason this time, as I smiled at Killua.

'Idiot, we already are your friends…' I wanted to say those words so badly but I had lost my voice.

"I'm sick of killing people…" Killua's voice shook as he continued. "I want to become friends with them, and to live a normal life…"

My shoulders began to shake as I cried silently. It wasn't until that very moment did I realize how broken Killua was. He had been forced to kill from the moment he was born, by his parents that most likely didn't even love him for who he was but for what he could do.

"Killua…" I croaked weakly but he didn't hear me because Gittarackur's voice drowned me out.

"That's impossible. You'll never be able to make friends. Your only concern when you meet someone is whether or not you should kill them. That's how you were trained. You just don't know how to classify Gon and Kuragi because they're too dazzling for your eyes." Gittarackur's gaze continued to burn into Killua's as he spoke. "You don't want to become friends with them."

"You're…wrong…" Killua replied weakly.

Gittarackur continued on as if he hadn't heard Killua. "If you stay with them, you'll only end up wanting to kill them one day."

Killua clenched his trembling hands into fists as his brother continued to speak.

"You'll get the urge to see if you can kill them or not. Because you have the soul of a killer."

"Shut up…" I pleaded quietly. "Please, shut up…"

Suddenly, Leorio stepped forward as he trembled in rage. "Killua!" He called out to the boy. "I don't give a damn if he's your brother. He's a worthless piece of crap! Don't listen to him! Just beat the crap out of him like usual and win! You want to become friends with Gon and Kuragi!? Are you daft!? You already are friends!"

I snapped my head around to look at Leorio before I turned back to Killua, swallowing thickly. I needed to say something. I had to.

"H-He's right, Killua!" I called out, my voice trembling. I sniffled and wiped away my tears. "Do you think, that Gon and I would hang around you so much if we weren't friends?"

I saw Killua stiffen at our words and was about to grin before Gittarackur turned his dead gaze to me.

I froze in place, staring at him in sudden fear.

"Is that right?" He asked quietly.

"Hell, yeah, moron!" Leorio yelled, answering for me.

Gittarackur turned to stare at the floor, a finger to his chin inn thought. "Really…" He hummed. "That's no good. They consider Kil a friend." Gittarackur suddenly held his finger up as if the most brilliant idea had hit him. "Okay, I'll kill them."

My blood ran cold as I watched Gittarackur hold up some needles threateningly.

"A killer doesn't need any friends. They'll only slow you down." He told Killua before he turned and began walking towards me. "Alright, I think I'll start with you.

My knees shook as he came closer and I couldn't move. I was paralysed with fear but every fibre of my very being was screaming at me to run for the hills and never look back but all I could do was tremble as he advanced towards me.

A bodyguard suddenly stepped forward and tried to persuade Gittarackur out of it, only for his face to be pierced by Gittarackur's needles and deformed.

Suddenly; Leorio, Kurapika and Berkinz were standing in front of me protectively, each of them glaring at Gittarackur, whom stopped and hummed.

"This won't do. I need a Hunter's licence to do my job…But if I kill them, I'll fail, and Kil will pass automatically." Gittarackur mumbled to himself. "Oh, darn. The same thing will happen if I kill Kuragi or Gon. I know, I'll pass the exam before killing them."

The air in the lobby was getting more suffocating by the second as everyone watched Gittarackur with baited breath.

Gittarackur turned to the Chairman. "If I wait until after passing the exam, I can kill everyone here and still keep my licence, right?"

"Yes, according to the rules." Netero replied simply.

"Did you hear that, Kil?" Gittarackur turned to face a shaking Killua. "You have to beat me if you want to save Kuragi and Gon."

Gittarackur slowly began to advance towards Killua. "Will you fight me for your friends' sakes? You can't do it. You're more worried about whether or not you can defeat me."

Killua froze when his brother stood directly in front of him, staring into his eyes. "And you already have your answer: 'I'm not strong enough to beat my brother.'"

Gittarackur slowly raised his hand towards Killua, leaving it hovering over his head slightly.

"'Never fight an enemy you can't beat.' I drilled that into you…"

Killua's breathing sped up in a panic and he went to take a step back, but his brother stopped him.

"Don't move! If you move an inch, I'll assume the fight has begun." Gittarackur warned, continuing to move his hand towards Killua. "And if our bodies make contact that will also mean the fight has begun. There's only one way to stop me. You know what that is. But don't forget…If you don't fight me, your dear Gon and Kuragi will die."

I took a deep breath and finally managed to rip my gaze away from Gittarackur and the murderous air he was surrounded in, turning to look at the trembling Killua.

He couldn't do this.

"It's okay, Killua….Back out. I'll understand, I won't hold a grudge.'' I said as loud as I could, but it only came out in a whisper. I was too terrified to talk any louder.

"Take him out, Killua!" Leorio yelled, trying to snap the poor boy out of it. "We won't let him kill you, Gon or Kuragi! We'll stop him, whatever it takes! Let him have it!"

Gittarackur's hand was inches from Killua's face now and I was beginning to fear that Killua really was going to face his terrifying brother. Thankfully, Killua bowed his head in defeat.

"I surrender." He muttered, his tone blank and lifeless. "I lose…"

The air around Gittarackur suddenly lightened as he smiled and clapped his hands together. "Oh, that's good! Then the battle's over."

Gittarackur leaned down and gave Killua a pat on the shoulder. "I lied, Kil. I was lying about killing Gon and Kuragi. That was just a little test. But now I have my answer."

At that moment, I never wanted to punch someone as badly as I wanted to punch Killua's brother. I was shaking in anger but I was still rotted to the ground in fear. This guy could kill me in the blink of an eye if he wanted to.

Gittarackur suddenly leaned down, close to Killua's ear, just speaking loud enough for me to hear. "You don't have the right to make friends. Nor do you need friends. You should just listen to Dad and me, and do your job as you always have. When the time comes, I'll tell you to take the Hunter Exam. You don't need a licence yet."

With that said, Gittarackur backed off and walked back to the side lines.

I stared at Killua as he stayed rooted to his spot for a moment before slowly turning around and making his way back as well. When he passed by us, I pushed past Leorio, Kurapika and Berkinz before running up to him.

"Killua, it's oka-" I froze when I saw his eyes turn to me. They were no longer the bright and mischievous blue I knew, they we dull and completely blank.

They were dead.

I took in a shaky breath and stepped forward, grabbing Killua's hand and beginning to drag him away, outside the lobby so I could talk with him without Gittarackur's prying eyes.

When the door closed behind us I turned to face Killua, my hand still holding his wrist firmly.

"Killua?" I asked quietly, afraid to make the boy even worse.

There was no response, he just continued to stare at his feet.

"Come on, Killua. It's alright. I don't care that you gave up. Hey, I'm still your friend." I tried to assure him that everything was fine but there was still no response.

A lump formed in my throat as I felt the tears prick at my eyes. Gittarackur had broken him. Stripped away the white-haired boy I knew, in mere minutes, leaving behind nothing but an empty shell.

Unconsciously, my grip loosened and his wrist fell out of my hand. Killua turned slowly, then began to walk back inside, but I didn't follow. I was in too much shock that my friends had been reduced to nothing but a lifeless being.

"Kil…lua…" I whispered, watching as the door closed behind him and blocked him from my view.

My knees suddenly felt like jelly and I crumpled to the ground, still staring at the door, hoping beyond anything that Killua would poke his head back out, smirking like the insensitive jerk he used to be and taunt me for falling for a prank.

"_You should see the look on your face, you look stupid! I can't believe you fell for it, idiot!" _He would laugh, picking on me. _"Anyway, get up. Let's go watch the old man fail his match."_

But that never happened, and I continued to sit there, staring at the double doors but not really seeing them.

However; it wasn't too long until the doors opened again and Killua stepped through.

My hopes sored when I saw the boy, only to disappear and be replaced by worry when I saw the blood splattered across his clothes and right hand.

"Killua!" I shot up as the boy walked towards me. "What happened?"

I didn't get a response as the boy brushed past me, continuing on. I stood there in shock for a moment before turning and running after him.

"Killua, wait! Are you okay? Are you hu-"

I froze and gasped when Killua suddenly spun around, holding his bloody claws to my throat threateningly. I stared into his eyes and began to tremble.

They were worse than they had been before; they were darker, more twisted.

Slowly, Killua backed away and retracted his claws, staring at me for a second more before he vanished.

I stared at the spot he had been standing before tears began to pour down my face. I collapsed to my knees, sobbing loudly as I fisted the fabric of my shorts.

"Killua! Don't leave!" I sobbed, fruitlessly begging for the boy to come back. "I need you…"

I stopped, hiccupping as I realized what I had said was true. I needed Killua, almost like I needed air. Without him here I suddenly felt weak and helpless, like I couldn't do a single thing for myself.

I sniffled, hiccupping again.

I realized that as we had advanced through the Hunter Exam I had become more dependent on him, almost always staying in his company.

Killua had been the one to carry me throughout the second half of the First Phase.

Killua had been the one to push me into jumping down the ravine to get that stupid Spider-Eagle egg to pass the Second Phase.

Killua had been the reason I had tried my hardest to answer those questions correctly when I was facing Kenten and the reason I had pushed myself, despite my injuries, to keep going and make it through the Third Phase.

Killua had been the one to save my life before I could have been stabbed to death during the Fourth Phase, and also the one to collect my target's tag.

I took a deep breath and tried to calm down, but the tears just wouldn't stop.

He had left me.

Killua had left me.

My strength had left me.

**Yo, finally got around to writing this chapter! You better like it! I cried over this!**

**Hope to hear your guys' opinions!**

**Questions? Comments? Just go ahead and drop them in the review box!**

**. . .**

**Oh yeah, Kuragi just comes up to Killua's nose, she's a super short 11 year old. The poor girl needs a growth spurt.**


	8. Operation X Rescue X Killua!

**Hi Guys! Sorry it took so long, schools a bitch.**

**.**

**RESPONSE TO **_**ACertainGrate**_**:**

**Thanks you! I really appreciate your support and I hope you enjoy this chapter!**

**.**

**RESPONSE TO **_**KagamineBanana**_**:**

***Shoves Illumi towards you* Go nuts.**

**Illumi: *stares like a creeper***

**.**

**RESPONSE TO **_**Guest**_

**Don't worry, you'll see soon enough XD**

**.**

**I don't own Hunter X Hunter**

_/8/ We Pass X He Fails / Off X To X Kukuroo Mountain_

I think my mind just blanked after Killua had vanished. I sat there, staring into the distance where Killua had vanished until I felt a hand touch my shoulder.

"Kuragi?"

I recognized the voice but I didn't really register it.

A pair of long legs appeared in front of me before whoever it was crouched down. Leorio's concerned face appeared in my view as he placed his hands on my shoulders, squeezing them firmly.

"Kuragi, snap out of it." Leorio stated firmly, staring into my eyes.

I blinked at the older teen, my vision finally focusing on him, and felt more tears beginning to form in my eyes. "Killua…" I croaked weakly, unable to say anymore.

I was suddenly pulled into a warm chest as long arms circled me in comfort. "I know, Kuragi. I know." Leorio's chest vibrated as he spoke.

My breath hitched and I began to sob into Leorio's chest, loud and ugly sobs. We sat there for a few moments, Leorio comforting me as I cried before I finally began to calm down.

"I t-tried…to stop him." I hic'ed. "But I wasn't…strong enough!"

Leorio began to rub tender circles in my back as he hushed me softly. "Shhh, I'm sure you tried your hardest but he was too far gone. There was nothing you- or any of us- could do."

I sniffled and pulled away from Leorio, wiping my tears away.

Leorio smiled down at me softly, before ruffling my hair and standing up, pulling me up with him.

"Come on, Kuragi." Leorio said softly. "Everyone's waiting for us, the Chairman's giving us all a briefing on our Hunter licenses."

I nodded slowly and fell into step behind Leorio as we walked back in. As I expected, the lobby was completely empty save for a few bodyguards who were cleaning blood splatters from the floor. I eyed the fresher blood stains with a sinking feeling.

We continued on through a hallway before we reached a room. We stepped inside, everyone falling silent and turning to us. All the applicants that had passed were seated around the room at long rows of benches while The Chairman and his secretary stood at the front of the room. I fidgeted nervously as I followed Leorio to his seat, feeling the eyes burning into me.

I suddenly spotted the long haired person sitting in the front row, not bothering to give us a second glance.

It was Gittarackur.

I felt the rage build inside me as I stared down at Killua's older brother but I knew I couldn't act. He could rip me to shreds if he wanted to.

I turned my gaze away from the emotionless assassin and spotted Kurapika already sitting down and smiling at us. I sent him a weak smile in return before Leorio sat down next to him, patting the seat to his right as he smiled at me. I nodded and gratefully took the seat.

I spotted a folder on the desk in front of me and raised an eyebrow in curiosity when I saw the Hunter Committee sign and my name on the front.

I heard Chairman Netero clear his throat before he began to speak. "Now, we will get back to the topic at hand."

I blocked out Netero as I opened up the folder, my eyes going wide. Sitting snuggly in the folder was the small piece of plastic I had fought so hard to get.

A Hunter Licence.

I brushed my fingertips over the cool, smooth plastic in wonder before I carefully picked it up. I was terrified that the slightest thing would break it, shatter it beyond repair.

The license was plain and simple. It was an aqua-blue with some details of mine on the front. Such as; name, gender and race. As well as the Hunter Committee symbol and a blank space where I assumed my Hunter Class would go.

I turned it over and looked at the back. It was the same aqua-blue as the front and there was a single black line going across the top, just like any other credit/ID card.

I really had passed.

As I stared down at the card a mixture of strong feelings churned in my stomach; pride, relief, joy and, strongest of all, guilt.

Sure, I had passed on my own, but Killua had been the one person to fail.

I fiddled with the card in my hands, staring down at it as my hands sat in my lap.

'Was this really worth it? Killua had completely lost himself and the chance to become a Hunter for all of us to pass….' I grit my teeth and glared at the card, gripping it tightly inn my hands. 'No, this was worth it. It would help my family more than anything.'

I frowned and ran my thump over the plastic that was beginning to warm from my body heat. Even though this had all been worth it, I still wished Killua was here to experience it as well.

SLAM

I jumped at the loud noise, started out of my thoughts as I turned to face the double doors that had been thrown open with tremendous force. My eyes widened and I felt relief wash threw me when I spotted the spikey haired boy that stood at the door. Even though he was covered in bandages and his arm was in a sling, he looked perfectly fine.

But that was before I looked at his eyes.

Gon was glaring around at the other applicants, his eyes passing over me without hesitation, before they stopped and hardened on something down towards the bottom of the aisle. Gon started marching down the stairs, his footsteps echoing loud and clear in the deathly quiet room.

As Gon passed me, I could feel the rage rippling off of him in terrifying waves.

"Gon…" I whispered sadly, realizing he had most likely heard about Killua, before I stood and followed after the boy silently.

Gon finally came to a stop in front of Gittarackur, his fist clenched at his sides. I stood silently behind him, ready to give him back up if or whenever he needed it, as I to glared at Killua's brother who glanced at us blankly.

"Apologise to Killua!" Gon growled at Gittarackur, surprising me with his heavy tone.

"Apologise?" Gittarackur asked blankly. "For what?"

I felt my rage flare even more and I stepped around from behind Gon and stood beside him, glaring at Gittarackur with venom.

He had to have been messing with us.

"You don't know what you did wrong?" Gon asked quietly, still glaring.

"Nope." Gittarackur answered casually.

I clenched my jaw, grinding my teeth together in and effort not to hit the guy. He wasn't screwing with us, he genuinely didn't see a problem with what he did to Killua.

"You…" I ground out, catching Gon and Gittarackur's attention. "You don't have the right to be Killua's brother!"

Gittarackur turned away from us, face unchanging. "Must I earn the right to be his brother?"

"With the way you treated him; yes!" I yelled as Gon grabbed Gittarackur's arm and pulled him up, probably meaning to slam him into the floor but Gittarackur just floated down slowly.

"He doesn't need to earn the right to be our friend!" Gon snapped at him, increasing his grip on Gittarackur's arm.

Gittarackur seemed taken aback by the amount of force Gon was using and so was I. Suddenly, a crunch rang out through the room and I felt a sense of satisfaction when I realized Gon had broken the pin-head's arm.

"Don't bother apologising." Gon spoke up. "Just take me to see Killua."

I moved closer to Gon and rested my hand on his shoulder, still glaring at Gittarackur, as I spoke. "You mean 'us' Gon, I'm coming to see Killua as well."

Gon turned to me and nodded before turning back to glare at Gittarackur.

"What will you do then?" Gittarackur asked plainly.

"That should be obvious…" Gon began.

"We're going to rescue his sorry ass!" I butted in.

"You make it sound as though I kidnapped him…" Gittarackur hummed. "He walked away on his own."

My mind flashed back to Killua's dead eyes then an image of his back as he walked away from me and I grit my teeth.

"Not…Not by choice." I muttered quietly, feeling sadness and guilt wash over me.

'If I had been stronger….I could have stopped him, kept him here until Gon had woken up…'

"He was being manipulated by you people. It's the same as kidnapping him!" Gon exclaimed.

There was a pregnant pause as Gittarackur continued to stare at us for a moment before there was the sound of wood on stone behind us.

I looked over my shoulder and spotted the Chairman standing behind us.

"We happened to be discussing that very subject, Gon" The Chairman informed and I blanched.

'W-we had? I should have been paying attention!'

"Kurapika and Leorio have both lodged complaints." The Chairman continued. "The committee has been discussing the fairness of Killua's disqualification."

Out of the corner of my eye I saw Kurapika stand so I turned to face him.

"Killua had been behaving in a strange manner during and since the battle with the man who called himself Gittarackur!" Kurapika spoke up, continuing his apparent argument from before. "I believe he was hypnotized into committing murder."

I glanced at Gittarackur again, spying his ever blank face with distain. That idea hadn't even crossed my mind. That idea would have explained how unresponsive he was.

"Under normal circumstances," Kurapika continued. "It would be impossible to use hypnosis to induce a person to kill. However, as Killua was raised in a family of assassins, murder was a part of his daily life, so it's natural he would lack the ethical restrain of most!"

I nodded, agreeing with Kurapika 100%. Though, the thought of Killua killing from a young age and being used to it disturbed me some.

Suddenly, Leorio stood from his place beside Kurapika, speaking up as well. "I want to mention that the attack happened during the match between Bodoro and me. It's possible that he was trying to protect me. Given that, the one that should be disqualified…" Leorio paused, pointing a thumb at his own chest. "Is me."

I felt admiration swell in my chest as I stared at Leorio with wide eyes. He was potentially giving up his dream to be a Doctor to defend Killua. All my friends were so kind.

"In any case," Kurapika cut in. "Killua was not in control of his own actions. Thus, he should not have been disqualified!"

"That is mere speculation. There is no proof." Netero muttered and my head whipped around in shock.

I narrowed my eyes in a threatening glare aimed at the old man. How dare he not even consider the idea!?

"What the hell, old man!? Can't you at least consider the idea!?" I yelled, storming up to the desk and slamming my hands down as I tried to stare the old man down.

Netero stared down at me and my rage slowly began to melt away, being replacing by a terrified nervousness. I took a step back.

"There were no clear signs of manipulation." Netero spoke calmly, first addressing me before turning to the rest of the room. "In fact, I would question the claim that he was hypnotized."

I could feel the tension and anger radiation off of Leorio, Kurapika and Gon as Netero continued to speak.

"I agree that the incident occurred after the battle between Leorio and Bodoro had begun. At that point, both fighters were evenly matched. Bodoro had more experience but in terms of raw combat ability, Leorio was the stronger."

I had to agree with the old man, no matter how much I didn't want to. Considering Bodoro's age and injuries, it was more likely the Leorio would have won. With or without Killua's interference.

Netero turned his gaze to Leorio and Kurapika, staring at them evenly. "There was no need for Killua to interfere."

I glared at the old man, beginning to lose the minimal amount of respect I'd had for him, as I backed up and stood next to Gon again.

"There was some other funny business happening." An applicant spoke up behind me and I turned to him. It was #53, Pokkle.

Pokkle turned to stare accusingly at Kurapika. "Like when you fought with Hisoka."

I narrowed my eyes at the archer. Why was everyone questioning my friends?

"Back then, what did he say to you?" Pokkle questioned suspiciously. "Neither of you seemed particularly tired. But, Hisoka whispered something in your ear, right before conceding. That's pretty strange."

There was a tense silence as Kurapika and Pokkle stared each other down, turning the air thick with tension.

"I'd understand surrendering after your opponent whispers something to you, as happened with Hanzo and me, or Bodoro and Hisoka." Pokkle continued, breaking the silence. "Because we were under considerable pressure. However, in your case, the exact opposite happened. I have to wonder if you struck some sort of bargain. If you're going to question anything that seems odd, your own victory was quite odd, indeed."

I glared and took a threatening step towards the archer, very much disliking the way he was talking about my friend. Kurapika felt like the older brother I never had and I valued family dearly and just like I protected Palm and Akallu, I would protect Kurapika as well.

Kurapika caught my eyes for a moment, sending me a soft look when he saw my rage, silently telling me not to get involved. I took a deep breath and stepped back, sending him my own whining look before he turned his attention back to Pokkle.

The archer began to speak again. "If you have nothing to hide, you should tell us what he said. Right now."

"I have no obligation to tell you." Kurapika responded calmly.

"Maybe not, but I believe you owe it to us." Pokkle shot back.

"Not really." Kurapika sighed, looking away. "If you consider my victory to be odd, a victory by default would be equally as odd."

I smirked when Pokkle finally lost his cool and shot forward, holding his fist towards Kurapika threateningly.

"WHAT!?" Pokkle snarled, glaring at the composed blond.

"None of that matters…"

I turned my head sharply to glance at the spikey haired boy beside me, who was glaring at the floor.

'What did he say?'

"Hey…I want to get this lecture over with so I can leave." I heard Hanzo whine but I was more focused on Gon.

The dark-haired boy's expression slowly turned into a scowl and I frowned.

"None of that matters!" Gon exclaimed, causing everyone to stare at boy in surprise save for me, I had seen his outburst coming.

The room was silent as Gon continued to speak, glaring at the ground. "It's pointless to argue over whether someone should have passed. If you aren't happy about passing, keep working until you're satisfied. If Killua retakes the Hunter Exam, he'll definitely pass!"

I agreed with Gon. Killua had the highest potential as a Hunter by far, he could have easily passed if his brother hadn't been here.

Speaking of Gittarackur; I turned to glare at the man, still in Gon's grasp. He had yet to tell us where Killua had gone and I was certain he knew where his younger brother was.

"It's unfortunate that he failed this time, but it is what it is." Gon muttered before tightening his grip on Gittarackur's arm, becoming more forceful. "What does matter…If you've bee forcing Killua to kill, against his will, all this time, I'll make you pay!"

The air suddenly became heavy with killer intent as Gittarackur stared down at Gon.

"Make me pay?" Gittarackur questioned calmly. "What, exactly, will you do?"

Gon shook his head slightly, still staring evenly at Gittarackur. "I won't do anything. Only, once we rescue Killua, we'll never let you see him again!"

I butted in, moving to stand in between Gon and Gittarackur, my hands planted on my hips. "Actually, just because he won't do something, doesn't mean I won't try!"

Gittarackur stared at us blankly before he moved his hand forward slowly. I felt a cold pressure beginning to crawl its way across my skin. Gon lept away from Gittarackur's outstretched hand but I was frozen on the spot, the cold and slimy sensation had numbed my nerves and I couldn't move. My legs were trembling and a cold sweat broke out on my forehead. I felt a sharp pain in my head and I flinched, gritting my teeth to fight back the sudden headache.

His hand still hovering in the air as he stared down at me. The threatening aura had lessened but it was still there.

"Ahem."

Everyone's attention turned back to Netero, who had cleared his throat. Gittarackur's hand dropped to his side and I gasped, suddenly free from whatever that feeling had been. I lept back and stood beside Gon, trembling as I stared at Gittarackur.

"Is everyone finished?" Netero asked calmly, as if there hadn't been an intense atmosphere a few moments ago. "Gon is absolutely correct. You must decide for yourselves if you were worthy of passing." Netero glanced at me briefly as he said this. I felt myself flush in surprise at the meaning of his words.

"You may complain about the results all you like, but we will not be changing our minds." Netero continued. "Killua has been disqualified and the rest of you have passed the exam."

The tension and hostility in the air slowly vanished as everyone, aside from Gon, Gittarackur and I, calmly sat down. Netero's secretary stepped forward with a smile.

"Okay, then I shall continue with the orientation." Beans stated, holding up his own Hunter Licence. "The card's I've passed out are your Hunter Licences. This card allows you to enter 90% of the countries that limit immigration, as well as 75% of the restricted areas in the world."

I grinned and pulled out the plastic card I had stuffed in my pocket, glad I was right about the restricted access. I stared down at the card in anticipation. The sooner I could get back to them, the better.

'Akallu would be very happy about this.'

Beans continued. "This card also provides free access to 95% of public facilities, and a line of credit that rivals large corporations. If you sell the card, you'll have enough money to last seven life-times. And if you keep it, you'll still be living in comfort. So take extra care that your licence isn't lost or stolen. You won't receive a replacement."

I snorted, wondering who in this room was stupid enough to let this card be stolen or lose it. I glanced at Leorio out of the corner of my eye and I blanched.

'I think I know the answer to that.'

"According to our estimates," Beans continued on. "One in five Hunters lose their card within a year of receiving it. As a Hunter, your first challenge is to protect your card. The rest is up to you. Rise above challenges, believe in your own strength, and fulfil your dreams."

"Now!" Netero cut in, grinning. "We now declare the nine members here to be new Hunters!"

I was torn between grinning and frowning.

Grinning because I had done what I had set out to do.

Frowning because Killua wasn't here to celebrate with us.

**HunterXxXxXHunter**

I followed behind Gon as he stormed through the Lobby of the hotel, aiming to catch up to the pin-head that had left ahead of us. We spotted him standing just beyond the doorway to the courtyard and I felt the rage from before rekindle itself.

"Gittarackur…" Gon called out, surprisingly calm, before he strolled right up to Gittarackur. "Tell me where Killua is."

"Are you really going to take him away?" Gittarackur asked blankly. "I think that's a bad idea."

I took a threatening step forward, in front of Gon. "We don't care what you think!" I hissed at the blank faced man.

"Killua is our friend." Gon added in from behind me and I calmed down, trying to follow Gon's example. "We're taking him with us."

Gittarackur blinked before looking behind us. "Do they feel the same?"

I spun around as Gon glanced over his shoulder and my eyes widened when I saw that Kurapika and Leorio had snuck up behind us.

"You bet." Leorio answered for us.

Kurapika smiled at Gon and I then Leorio followed his example.

"Fine."

I turned back to Gittarackur, who had spoken, and I grinned as he finally relented.

"I doubt you'll be able to make it there anyway." Gittarackur muttered, though, I got the sense he was mocking us. "Killua went home."

My heart sunk. If he really had gone home then we would most likely have to go through his family to get him. That would totally suck.

"Uh, Home?" I questioned, curious about where a family of assassins would live.

Gittarackur glanced down at me.

"Kukuroo Mountain. Our family lives at the very top." He replied and I got even more confused. I had never heard of Kukuroo Mountain and I wondered briefly if he was telling us false information.

"Kukuroo Mountain?" Leorio spoke up. "Got it, thanks."

Gon began to walk away, the rest of us following behind him silently. Though, as I walked away, I felt a chill go down my spine and the hairs on the back of my neck rose in an unconscious warning. I turned and saw Gittarackur's eyes staring into mine.

I paused in my steps, breaking out in a cold sweat as we continued to star at each other. I slowly began to feel a sense of panic raising in my chest and I felt the need to flee, but my feet were rooted to the floor.

"You shouldn't get involved." Gittarackur said boldly, a threatening aura surrounding him. "Kil' doesn't need someone like you holding him down."

My headache suddenly came back full force and I stumbled, holding my head. I felt guilt and a sense of uselessness well up in the pit of my stomach.

'I'll…hold him back? That's right, I'm too weak, it's always him taking care of me, I shouldn't go after him. I'll just be a burden.'

"_Geez, idiot. Are you stupid or something?"_

My eyes widened as I heard Killua's voice echo through my head.

"_You're a not a burden or anything like that."_

I grit my teeth, forcing back my headache as I stood up.

'No…I'm not…I'm not a burden! I won't be a burden!'

"No…" I hissed. "I won't hold him back. I'll get stronger!" I was speaking more to myself than I was Gittarackur. "I-I'll help him. We'll help him."

Gittarackur hummed as he stared down at me.

"Interesting." Gittarackur muttered, continuing to stare at me.

I stared back defiantly, the headache slowly fading.

"I see…" With this, Gittarackur turned and walked away.

I waited until he was out of earshot before I doubled over, leaning against my knees as I panted.

'What the hell was that!?'

I felt completely mentally exhausted as I stood there, trying to clear my mind. I shook my head and stood back up, turning to where Gon and the others had walked away. They weren't there, I doubted they had noticed what had happened.

I sighed and ran after them, hopping they hadn't gone too far.

I found them a few moments later, standing in the inner part of the courtyard.

"Uh, Hey guys!" I called, waving to the three males.

They turned to me and Gon grinned, waving back.

"Hi, Kuragi!" Gon called.

I ran up to them and smiled sheepishly when I saw Leorio and Kurapika giving me a disapproving look.

"And where did you run off to, young lady?" Leorio questioned, trying to sound like he was scolding me but failing miserably.

"Uh…..the bathroom?" I excused, not meaning to make it sound like a question.

Leorio suddenly grew all flustered. "A-alright then! No need to tell us the details!"

I looked at him in confusion for a moment before my cheeks flamed.

"W-why the hell would I tell you that!" I shrieked at the flustered older teen, who only flushed more.

"L-Let's just stop talking about this." Leorio muttered, scratching the back of his neck nervously.

"Yeah…." I agreed, but I noticed the suspicious look Kurapika was sending me and I knew he didn't really buy my excuse.

"So….what were you guys talking about while I was gone?" I asked, trying to get rid of the awkward atmosphere Leorio had created.

"We were discussing if any of us knew where Kukuroo Mountain was." Leorio explained. "Speaking of which; do you know about it?"

I shook my head. "Nah, I have no idea, I barely know the world map, let alone where a specific mountain is."

"We could look it up online." Kurapika suggested and I looked at him in confusion.

"On….line? Uh, why would the Mountains location be on a line…I mean, huh?" I questioned, completely confused by what Kurapika had said. Maybe he had meant to say something else.

The three males looked at me in surprise.

"You don't know what the internet is!?" Leorio exclaimed in surprise, getting up in my face.

I took an instinctive step back, flustered. "Oh! You meant the internet? I know that! I've just never heard the phrase 'online' before, that's all!"

Leorio gave me a suspicious look. "Oh really, then tell me. What is the internet?"

I thought hard for a moment, feeling flustered and frustrated that I couldn't come up with an answer right away. I remembered Palm teaching me about the internet briefly when I had asked about it after hearing someone talk about this video they had found on the internet.

Since we didn't have a computer or something called a 'modem' we couldn't access the internet, so I had very limited information.

"Uh, It a vast amount of information you can access via a computer, right?" I asked hesitantly, not wanting to get it wrong and make a fool out of myself.

Leorio sighed and shook his head before patting mine. "You are such a sheltered child."

I pouted and knocked his hand away, sour about his comment. "Shut up, old man!"

Leorio glared down at me and knew he was going to blow up but he was interrupted by behind me.

"Yo!"

I turned and spotted Hanzo standing a few feet away, looking ready to head off on a journey.

"Oh, Hanzo-san!" Gon yelled, waving to the shinobi.

I blanched and stared at Gon, my eyebrow twitching.

'H-Hanzo-**san**? When did Gon start respecting this guy!? He broke his arm!'

Hanzo walked up to us with a grin on his face. "I'm going back to my country. It was a short, yet seemingly long acquaintance, but I had fun."

"So did I." Gon replied, smiling as well.

"If you ever visit my country, let me know. I can show you the best tourist spots!" At this, Hanzo reached into his pocket and pulled out some cards, handing them to me before he walked away. "See ya!"

I glanced down in confusion and I blanched. They read; Cloud-Hidden Ninja, Hanzo.

"H-He makes his own cards?" I stuttered, thoroughly unimpressed.

"A shinobi that tries to leave an impression…" Kurapika muttered as he and the others glanced over my shoulders.

"Hey."

'Another one!?'

We all looked up and spotted Pokkle, standing there casually with something tucked under his arm. I bristled and glared at the archer. 'He better be here to apologise.'

"Sorry about getting so excited before." Pokkle said, addressing Kurapika as he bowed his head.

I hissed and raised my fist threateningly. "You better b-"

A hand was rested on my shoulder and I glared at whoever it was.

It was Kurapika.

He shook his head at me before sending me a soft smile, then he dropped his hand off my shoulder and turned his gaze to Pokkle.

"No, I also lost control." Kurapika replied. "Forgive me." He bowed in apology.

"No, I only got mad because you were right." Pokkle explained. "I was using you to take out my frustration for winning by default, but I'm over that now." Pokkle smiled. "Since I passed, I'm going to make the best of it!"

Pokkle ran over to the group and smiled down at me and Gon before turning to Leorio and Kurapika. "The question is what to do next."

"Yes, you're right." Kurapika agreed.

"I'm going to travel the world, gathering information and discovering new species, as an Exotic Game Hunter." Pokkle stated, grinning widely.

"Exotic Game Hunter…?" I muttered quietly. There really was a Hunter for everything.

"Hey, what's that!?" Gon exclaimed, pointing to the item Pokkle had tucked under his arm. I was curious about it as well.

"Oh, this?" Pokkle took the item out from under his arm and showed it to us. "You can use this to obtain all kinds of information. Is there anything you'd like to know? I can look it up on the spot."

My eyes widened and I stepped forward. "Can you see where Kuku-"

"Can you look up a Hunter named Ging? Ging Freecss." Gon exclaimed, cutting me off.

I pouted and glared at the boy. If he hadn't asked about his dad I would have totally butted in and demanded the location for Kukuroo Mountain. I shrugged.

'Maybe he'll ask about the mountain after.'

Pokkle opened up what was in his hand and he began pressing buttons. "Sure, hold on…." He muttered, typing.

Curiosity got the better of me and I snuck behind him to sneak a look over his shoulder. It was a flat device split into two halves. The bottom was covering in buttons with the alphabet and numbers while the top half was a screen. I blinked and marvelled at the device when I realize it was a 'laptop'. Something Palm had told me about.

The screen came up with a bunch of information, but most of it was followed by the word 'Classified.'

"Hey, who is this 'Ging' guy?" Pokkle muttered, a little frustrated that he couldn't access anything. "All information related to him is behind a tight security system that requires a bunch of different accesses. He has some serious influence, even at a national level."

"Huh? Really?" Gon was very much surprised about this little tad bit about his dad. "Forget it, then…"

Leorio bent down and muttered something into Gon's ear but I didn't catch it.

"What are you doing?"

I looked up and saw Pokkle staring down at me questioningly. I blinked and I realized I was still staring over his arm. I backed up a little and laughed.

"Oh, nothing! Nothing!" I excused frantically. I had probably looked like a stalker.

Pokkle closed his laptop and addressed the other three. "Okay, let me know if anything comes up." He reached into his pocket and pulled out a piece of paper before handing it to Gon. "This is my e-mail address."

Pokkle suddenly took off, turning to wave goodbye over his shoulder.

"Wah!" I yelled, realizing something. "Hey, Hold on!"

It was too late, he was already gone. We had forgotten to ask about Kukuroo Mountain.

I groaned and glared at Gon. "If you hadn't asked about your dad we would have remembered to ask about Kukuroo Mountain!"

Gon smiled nervously and waved his hands in front of him in defence. "Sorry, sorry! I didn't mean to!"

My anger slowly melted away as I looked at the apologizing boy. I couldn't stay angry at him, he was too much like my younger brother, all though he was more simple-minded.

"It's okay." Kurapika tried to assure us and we turned our attention to him. "As Chairman Netero was saying, we are all Hunters now. It's a bad idea to let other Hunters know what you're doing. We can look it up ourselves."

He had a point.

"But how are we going to look it up?" I questioned.

Kurapika smiled at me and ruffled my hair. "Don't worry, I know where we can get access to a computer."

I pouted and moved his hand out of my hair gently.

'What the hell is with people and patting and ruffling my hair!? Do they all have a hair fetish!?'

"Gon-kun!"

We turned to the person who had spoken and spotted the First Phase examiner, whose name had slipped my mind.

"Satotz-san!" Gon exclaimed, looking happy as he ran up to the mouthless man.

'Oh yeah, that was his name.'

Statotz held up a Hunter Licence folder. "Gon-kun, you forgot this."

I blanched, realizing Gon had forgotten his Hunter Licence. The boy was so forgetful.

"Oh, right…" Gon muttered awkwardly as he took the folder from Satotz. "Thanks!"

"Also, do you have a moment?" Satotz question.

Gon turned to us questioningly and I smiled.

"We'll be fine, go ahead!" I grabbed Leorio and Kurapika's hands before beginning to drag them away. "We'll wait in the Lobby!"

After Gon came back, Kurapika took us to a room in the Hotel that was filled with computers that we were allowed to access. After discovering the location and booking four aircraft tickets, we were off to get Killua.

'Wait for us, Killua. We're coming to get you.'

**Bleeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeehhhhhhhhhhh. I don't like the ending to this chapter but whatever.**

**BTW, I just realized that the subtitles change Satotz's name from Statotz to Satotz…so that change of spelling wasn't my fault. I'm just going to roll with it.**


	9. The X Zoldyck X Estate

**OooooH~ The chapters are getting so close to double digits!**

**BTW THIS IS SEMI-IMPORTANT! There is a link to my DeviantArt on my Bio, if you head to my DeviantArt you can see everything I've been drawing for this story. Though, somethings are just fluffy random love things between Killua and Kuragi I will never end up adding to this story. But, ya know, check it out if ya want! Also, some may be spoilers so be careful!**

**.**

**RESPONSE TO **_**Enemotou**_**:**

**True, true. I'm kind of curious, what anime are you waiting for? I'm waiting for season 2 of Attack on Titan. That wouldn't happen to be it, would it?**

**You sound like a terrifying writer…We'd get along well then! I think the only reason I'm writing so much is because I'm following the plot of the anime, otherwise, these chapter would be so much shorter.**

**Oh. My. God. I feel like punching myself in the face for missing that! I'll probably have it fixed by the time I upload this chapter. Thank you for pointing that out, either everyone else missed it or didn't bother telling me! Also, HISOKA, lol. I think your autocorrect likes Hisoka.**

**I'm glad you liked the drama, though, every time I watch that episode I always find myself yelling at Illumi through the screen. I hate him so much…**

**Did you just make a pun on Illumi's line; "You just don't know how to classify Gon because he's too dazzling for your eyes."?**

**It's alright, not your fault. Glad you added in a review for chapter 7 as well!**

**Oh yes, the Testing Gate…I actually have an idea for that…not sure if I'll end up rolling with it or not. It might make Kuragi seem a little Mary-sue.**

**I'll be sure to keep up this fic! Who knows, this might be the first one I'll finish in 5 years…**

**.**

**RESPONSE TO **_**lollipop-sama**_**:**

**Well thank you! I actually drew it myself, I make my own fanart… X3 Though I wish I had some art from actual fans…**

**.**

**RESPONSE TO **_**winddemon199**_**:**

**Yeah, I was originally going to write her in as her actual part from the 1999 but I changed my mind, oh well. May she Rest In Pieces.**

**.**

**RESPONSE TO **_**KagamineBanana**_**:**

**Illumi: *walks away***

**Well…that was uneventful…ANYWAY! HI! BYE!**

**.**

**I don't own Hunter x Hunter**

_/9/ The X Zoldyck X Estate / The X Testing X Gate_

It took us three days. Three. Freaking. Days. To reach the Dentora, the republic of Padokea where Kukuroo Mountain, and Killua's home, resided. It was too long if you asked me.

I had napped most of the time away, but, during the time I was awake, I; took a shower in one of the bathrooms provided on the airship, even though they were pretty cramped, played hand games with Gon and got examined by Leorio.

Leorio had taken the gauze off of my nose, stating that it was healed enough to not need the gauze even though it was still bruised and slightly swollen, as well as examined my arm. I didn't need a sling anymore and I could move it just fine but I was going to have permanent lightning shaped scars branching across the length of my arm and there would be moments were it would feel numb but that would fade over time. The bite mark on my hand was almost completely healed but it was going to be wrapped up in proper bandages for the time being, and my chest was also bruised from my brief match with Berkinz but there was no other substantial damage.

When the aircraft finally landed Gon and I shot off like rockets, followed closely behind by Kurapika and Leorio, before we boarded a bullet train to the town closest to Kukuroo Mountain. When we made it there the boys began to ask around for information while I found a Clothing Store to buy a new outfit, the one I was currently wearing being stained and ripped to shreds. I was just glad my skates had survived. My jumper, however, had not.

I pouted down at my panda themed hoodie before chucking it in a dumpster and entering the clothes store. Palm had saved up a lot of money to buy me that, even working double shifts.

"Welcome, how may I help you, Sweetie?" An older woman greeted me with a large smile as soon as stepped into the quaint little story, the door ringing behind me as it closed.

I smiled at the woman, liking the kind vibe around her.

"As you can probably tell from my clothes." I gestured to the destroyed outfit. "I need some new clothes, preferably ones fit for traveling but not too heavy duty. Will you be able to do that?

The elderly woman smiled wider. "Certainly dear, is there any specific price rang you're looking for?"

I shook my head and pulled out my Hunter's Licence, showing it to the older woman. "No, unless there's anything in the story this can't cover."

The older woman's eyes widened. "A-A professional Hunter? At your age?" She stammered out in surprise.

I flushed, a little flustered by her reaction. "Uh, yeah, m-my family needed the money, so…."

I was suddenly wrapped up in a pair of gentle, warm arms and the smell of old spice.

"Oh, dear. You're so brave, taking that dangerous exam for your family. You know what, pick out whatever you like, it will be free of charge!" The woman blubbered, sounding like she was about to cry as she put me back down.

"Oh…um, no! I couldn't possibly take advantage of you, I'll pay full price! I insist!" I stuttered, feeling very awkward in front of the blubbering old lady.

"Oh, dear, you are too kind!" The old woman was suddenly ushering me behind a curtain and into a small room with a full body mirror. A changing room. "Wait here, I know the perfect outfit for a young little Hunter like you!"

As I listened to the woman walk away I blanched. "O-okay."

This woman acted way too much like Palm for my comfort.

"Here you are, dear!" The woman's head suddenly peeked through the curtain, making me jump as she shoved some clothes into my hands. "Try these on and show me how they look! I'll bet you'll love them!" Her head disappeared behind the curtain again.

I stared down at the clothes in my hands, a little stupefied.

I sighed and began to change, they didn't look too bad.

When I was done, I stared at myself in the mirror with a raised eyebrow, I didn't look half bad.

She had given me; a grey singlet and a black, short-sleeved and button up, over shirt which I kept unbuttoned because it was way too hot, and a dark blue denim skirt with slits at the side for easy movement as well as some skin tight shorts to wear underneath. Strangely enough, there was a panda logo sewn to the back of the over shirt.

I had to admit, for and elderly woman, she did have good tastes. Even though I didn't really like the skirt, I would keep it, not wanting to be rude or picky.

I pulled aside the curtain and was greeted by a marvelling woman. "You look lovely." She gushed. "Do you like it?"

I nodded, smiling politely. "Yes, thank you. They feel pretty comfy but sturdy at the same time, what are they made of?"

"Oh, they're made of a special material made by Hunters, for Hunters. I don't get many Hunter customers so I have plenty of clothes like these in stock. Oh, and don't worry about your old clothes, I'll take care of them for you." The woman explained.

I fingered the skirt, wondering what was so special about it. "Thank you, um, I'd like to pay now if you wouldn't mind."

The woman nodded and walked back to the counter towards the front of the store, I followed behind her silently. She walked behind the counter and pulled out a small machine from beneath the counter, holding it towards me.

"Just swipe your Licence through the slot." She explained. "It will deduct money from your account automatically."

I nodded and did as she told me, the machine beeping when I swiped my card through. The woman nodded and put the machine away again before smiling at me.

"Are you sure that's all, dear?"

I tucked my card into the pocket of the skirt. "I'm sure, thank you for your help Ms….err…" I trailed off, realizing I didn't know her name.

"Penny. Just call me Penny."

I smiled. "Right. Thank you, Penny." I waved at the woman and turned to leave.

"Oh, hold on dear!" Penny called out to me and I glanced over my shoulder, standing in the doorway. "Next time you're back in town, make sure to come and visit me, I'll give you a discount."

I smiled and waved again. "I'll remember that, Penny! Bye!"

"Bye, dear!" Penny called, just before the door closed with a soft tingle of a bell.

It wasn't too hard to find the boys after that, in fact, they were waiting right outside the store for me. I blinked in surprise as I walked up to them. "Oh, hi! Did you find out anything about Kukuroo Mountain?"

Gon smiled widely at me. "Yep, there's a tour of the mountain every day, if we hurry, we can take it right now!"

"Really? Then what are we waiting for? Let's go!"

**HunterXxXxXHunter**

We made it to the tour just on time, though, the bus was completely packed. I sat next to Gon and in front of Kurapika, who was next to Leorio.

I watched the peaceful mountainside go by as I stared out the window, listening to our tour guide.

"Thank you for taking the Lamentation Tour today. We will be visiting Kukuroo Mountain, home to the famous Zoldyck family of assassins." The tour guide chirped. And I blanched.

'Wow, for a family of assassins they weren't very inconspicuous.'

"Oi, look." Leorio suddenly whispered, leaning forward and casting his gaze towards the back of the bus.

I turned, along with Kurapika, curious. Sitting in the back were a pair of shady men and I knew exactly what they were as soon as I laid my eyes on them, their kind being way too common in the slums.

Thugs.

"They obviously aren't tourists." Leorio muttered.

"Definitely." I spoke up. "Though, they're here for a reason, I wonder what though."

"Everyone?" The tour guide suddenly called out, catching everyone's attention. I turned back around as she continued to speak. "Please look to your right."

I glanced to my right and over Gon's shoulder, my eyes widening in awe as I spotted the large and intimating mountain that now sat off in the distance.

"That is Kukuroo Mountain, where the Zoldyck family lives. A forest surrounds the 3,733-meter mountain, and the Zoldyck estate is somewhere on the mountain but no one has ever actually seen it." The tour guide recited, probably having all this information already burned into her mind from the amount of times she's probably had to say it.

I whistled lowly. "I guessed Killua was rich but he must be seriously **loaded**!"

After that, the tour guide just continued to ramble on about useless information as we all waited to reach the mountain itself. Leorio passed out from the boredom and Gon, Kurapika and I entertained ourselves by watching the scenery outside pass by.

When we finally reached the base of the mountain, I shook Leorio awake then followed everyone out of the bus. However, as soon as I stepped off the bus I craned my neck up in awe at the giant wall that loomed in front of us. It was huge and marked with numberers 1-7 while there were two stone dragons sitting on top, as if guarding the mountain.

"Oh wow…" I breathed, walking forward and out of the others' way so they could see the wall as well.

"That's really something!" Leorio exclaimed, as he saw the wall.

The tourist began to spread out around the wall, most of them taking photos while the tour guide talked some more.

"This is the front gate of the Zoldyck estate. Also known as the Door to Hades because no one who's entered has ever returned alive."

"Wait….It's a gate!? Cool~" I exclaimed, wondering how in the hell anyone could open it. Then I spotted the much smaller and wooden door built into the wall off to the side, near a Security Guard's booth. "Oh…So it's just for show."

"This whole area is their backyard…" Leorio muttered, obviously as stunned by the wealth of the Zoldycks as I had been.

"Hey, Guide..?" Gon suddenly spoke up, catching the guide's attention.

"Yes?" The guide questioned.

"What do we have to do to get inside?" Gon asked innocently, making the guide give a strained smile.

"Little boy, were you listening to my explanation?"

"Yes, but…"

The guide cut Gon off rather rudely. "If you go inside, you'll never get out alive! Assassins live inside."

I rolled my eyes at the woman. It was obvious we knew that.

Suddenly, I was knocked forward as someone shoved past me. I stumbled but caught my footing before glaring at the people who had shoved me. It was the two thugs that were at the back of the bus.

"It's all a sham." The smaller one chuckled, a large sword slung over his shoulder as they approached the Security Booth.

"A family of assassins that no one's ever seen." The larger one chimed in. "Just a photo of their faces is worth a hundred million."

"Seriously!?" Leorio exclaimed, unbelieving. "Damn! I should have taken a photo of Killua!"

I turned my glare to Leorio. "Um, no. You shouldn't have! Killua's our friend, we don't rat out friends!" Leorio ignored me and continued to daydream about all the cash he could have gotten, making me huff and turn back around.

I spotted the larger thug suddenly rip the door to the booth off and pull the elder security guard out by the neck.

"Open the gate, old man!" The big one hissed in the guards face.

"I-I cannot do that." The old man stammered out. "The master will not be pleased."

The leaner thug smirked at the fearful old man. "Don't worry, we're going to kill your master."

The old man sighed, seemingly in relief, and held up a key.

The larger bandit snatched the key before tossing the old man to the ground roughly, running over to unlock the gate with his pal.

I grit my teeth and rushed over to the man, helping him sit up as I glared at the thugs. They were just like the ones in the slums, no respect for anyone and thinking they can do whatever the hell they want and no one would stop them. I hated people like them.

"Are you okay, sir?" I asked the old man when he sat up completely, wincing. The others had come up behind me.

"Yes, I'm perfectly fine, thank you young lady." The old man sighed, before turning toward the thugs, who had opened the door and rushed inside. "Man…Now Mike's going to end up eating between meals again."

I looked down at the older man in confusion. "Huh, Mike…?"

Suddenly, two blood curdling screams came from behind the doors and a flinched, a chill running up my back as I stared at the doors. "What it the wo-"

I froze when one of the doors creaked open slowly, just before a large, monstrous and clawing arm appeared, dumping two skeletons on the ground in a heap. I recognized the clothes of the thugs and felt a sick feeling in my stomach. The bones were completely picked clean of all flesh and blood.

A chorus of screams broke out and all the other tourist and the guide rushed back into the bus in a panic.

'What the hell is behind there?' I felt a raw sense of fear as I continued to stare at the skeletons, starting to second guess if we could save Killua or not.

The old man scratched the back of his head as he stood with a sigh. "He's only supposed to eat at assigned times. Mike! Don't blame me if you get fat!" The old man yelled to the beast behind the door and I subconsciously waited for the beast to burst through and eat him but it never happened.

"What was that?" Kurapika muttered nervously.

"Hey, you four!" The guide called to use from the bus. "What are you doing? Get on the bus!"

Gon stood and smiled at the guide. "Oh, you can leave. We're staying here."

The Guide looked at us like we were insane before shooting back into the bus. "Fine! Suit yourselves! You're all insane!" With that, the bus took of back down the mountain.

I looked at the old man with a frown. "So, are you going to invite us in, or what?"

The man smiled down at me before sighing. "Of course, follow me." With that, he picked up the skeletons and turned to walk back into the booth, the rest of us following behind him.

The old man threw the skeletons in a trash can before beginning to make tea while he talked. "So, why don't you tell me why you four are here, exactly?"

"We're Killua's friends!" Gon chirped. "We're here to see him."

"I see." The old man smiled, beginning to pour tea into five cups. "So you're young Killua's friends. I'm happy to hear that." The old man paused to pass me a cup of tea and I smiled politely, taking the cup. "I've worked here for twenty years, but this is the first time any friends have come to visit."

I blew the steaming cup gently as I took a seat then took a small sip. I smiled, it was the way I liked it, extra sweet.

The old man took a seat himself then continued to talk. "Since I work here, I shouldn't say this, but the place is rather lonely. No one ever visits. Though we do see a lot of those…" He gestured to the skeletons in the trash behind him.

I turned my gaze away, feeling the nausea come back, and took a sip of tea to try and calm my stomach.

"Well, a family of assassins is pretty unusual. So I suppose it's the price they have to pay." The old man leaned forward with a smile. "Anyway, I'm glad you're here. Thank you."

"Don't mention it." Leorio muttered nervously.

"However…" The elder man's tone was grim as he continued. "I cannot let you inside."

I deflated slightly as I took another sip of my tea. I guessed this was going to be the case.

"Didn't you see the large arm of the creature? Its name is Mike. It serves as the Zoldyck family watchdog. It only obeys family and will attack anyone else. The beast still follows the order its master gave it ten years ago…To kill every single intruder."

I narrowed my eyes at the old man's explanation, something not adding up.

The old man laughed and picked up his tea, taking a sip. "Anyway, I can't let you inside. I wouldn't want to reduce young Killua's friends to skeletons."

"Then how is it you're safe?" I questioned, finishing off my tea. "Don't you ever go inside? I mean, you have a key, so you obviously have need of it."

The elder man frowned down at me and I was sure I hit the nail on the head.

"That was quite clever of you, young lady." The elder man smiled. "But you're only half right." He reached inside his jacket and pulled out the key, having grabbed it off the corpses' bodies. "I require no key to get inside. This key is for intruders."

"For intruders?" I questioned. "Why would you give a key to intruders if you were so worried about Mike eating them?"

"For some reason, 80-90% of intruders attempt to use the front gate. If I don't open the gate for them, they try to break it down. Such troublemakers…So we added a locked door to one side." The elder explained.

My eyes widened in realization and I turned to stare out the doorway, at the large stone gate. 'So…it really isn't for show? It's the real gate?'

"The intruders take the key from the 'helpless guard', and then Mike eats them." He tucked the key back into his jacket.

"That's it!" Kurapika suddenly exclaimed, obviously figuring it out.

"As you just realized, I'm not a guard." The old man grinned. "I merely clean up after Mike."

"The actual gate isn't even locked." I muttered, staring at the tall and intimidating gate in a new light.

"What!?" Leorio yelled, spinning around and looking at the real gate along with me. "No way! That's the gate?" Leorio stood and made his way outside, staring at the gate. We followed after him.

"I'm afraid so." The older man confirmed.

Leorio suddenly grinned and started stretching. "Alright then! I'll open it then!" He stormed forward and placed his hands on the gate, shoving as hard as he could. It didn't move an inch. Leorio's face began to turn red as he shoved even harder before he stopped, panting for a moment, and then tried pulling the gate open, only to give up again.

"I've tried pushing and pulling, but it won't budge!" Leorio yelled, frustrated. "Are you sure it isn't locked?"

"You just aren't strong enough." The older man explained, stepping past Leorio. "Just watch." He began to strip off his jacket, dress shirt and tie, leaving himself in a wife-beater.

My eyes widened at the sight of the elder man's muscly arms and broad chest. "That is one…beefy old man."

"The gates official name is the Testing Gate. Anyone who cannot open this gate is unqualified to enter the Zoldyck estate." At this, the elder man tensed and placed his hands against the gate before shoving with all his might. The gate eased opened around half way before he pulled back, letting the gate slam close again.

He turned to us with a smile. "As you just saw, the door closes automatically, so you'll want to run in the second it opens. You don't need to worry about Mike. He has orders not to attack any who enter through the Testing Gate." The elder man explained before sighing and wiping away the sweat that had appeared on his brow. "Still, this is getting tougher as I age…But they'll fire me if I can't open the gate, so I need to keep in shape. Oh, I should also mention that each of the gate one's doors weigh two tons."

"Holy shit, two tons!?" I yelled in surprise before staring down at my hands. There was no way we could open the gate together, let alone on our own. My hands began to tremble and I swallowed thickly.

'Is this as far as I go? Is my weakness finally getting the best of me?'

"Wait…" Leorio said, cutting into my thoughts. "Did you say gate one?"

"Yes, have a look." The old man said with a chuckle.

I suddenly remembered that the gate had been numbered from 1-7 and looked up. Were they each separate gates?

"When you go up a gate, the weight doubles." He explained.

"Doubles?" Leorio exclaimed.

"The number of gates that opens depends on the amount of strength you use. Incidentally, when young Killua returned, he opened gates one through three."

My eyes widened and I quickly did the math in my head, my mouth going dry when I came up with the answer.

"That would be twelve tons!" Gon exclaimed.

"No…" I muttered, too shocked to laugh at Gon's terrible math skills. "It would be sixteen tons." I swallowed thickly and stared down at my feet.

'I completely underestimated Killua…he's so far out of our league…completely in a different world.'

"Do you understand now?" The old man spoke up quietly. "This is what's required just to get in the door. They live in a completely different world."

I grit my teeth and clenched my hands into tight fists as I glared at the Testing Gate. I wasn't going to give up that easily. We were here to rescue Killua, and rescue Killua was what we'll do.

"I don't like it." Gon muttered as he, too, stared at the gate before turning to the old man. "Mister, lend me the key. I came here to see my friend, not to be tested. You can consider me an intruder. So let me borrow the key."

I stepped forward as the old man stayed silent, staring at Gon. I rested my hand on the green clad boys shoulder and stared at the old man evenly. "You can count me in as well. I'm not leaving this spot until you either hand over the key, or Killua walks through that gate."

"Hey…Gon…Kuragi…" Leorio muttered from behind us, clearly not believing what he was hearing but I ignored him.

The elderly man continued to stare at us with a frown, not making a move to give us the key.

"It doesn't matter if you don't loan us the key." Gon said, dropping the hand he had held out for the key. "I'll just climb the wall, if that's what it takes."

"Don't be stupid! Didn't you see that monster?" Leorio exclaimed, trying to reason with us. "Its arm was bigger than your entire bodies!"

"I won't accept this!" Gon exclaimed right back. "Why would you test your friends!? I'll never enter through that door."

"Yeah. This is way out of our league. We'll have to play dirty just to make it to their front yard." I added in, scowling.

The elderly man scratched the back of his head nervously. "You're absolutely right. However, forcing your way through is impossible. Mike will kill you."

"I completely agree." Kurapika added in from behind us. "We have plenty of time. Let's figure out a way to enter through gate one."

I huffed and walked in front of Gon, standing directly in front of the old man with a glare before holding out my hand.

"Key." I demanded.

"Unfortunately, I cannot lend you this key. I will not feed young Killua's friends to Mike." The old man refused. "But, I would like you to stay here for a moment."

With this, he casually walked past us and back into the booth, picking up and putting on his clothes as he did so. Going against his orders, we followed him. He picked up the phone in the booth and dialled a number before waiting silently for a moment.

"Hello? This is Zebro." The old man said once the person on the other line finally picked up. I was just glad to finally know his name. "Four of young Killua's friends are here to see him."

There was brief moment of silence as the other person on the line replied and Zebro got visibly more nervous as they did. "Yes. Yes, I'm sorry. Yes. Yes." The elder man responded nervously, nodding to himself. "Yes, I understand. Yes. I'm very sorry. I apologise for disturbing you."

Zebro hung up the phone with a sigh. "Yep, I got in trouble."

We all walked into the booth, curious.

"You called the mansion?" Gon inquired.

"Oh. No, I was speaking with the Zoldyck family butler." Zebro corrected.

I tried to hold in a chuckle at the revelation that they even had butlers.

"All communication with the mansion must go through the butler. It's very difficult to reach any of the family members."

Gon stepped forward and stared at the phone curiously before turning to Zebro. "Could you call him again? I'll talk to him this time."

"Sure, I guess." Zebro sighed as he picked up the phone. "But you won't enjoy the experience."

I stepped forward and watched Zebro dial the number, curious about what Gon would say. When the number was dialled, Zebro handed Gon the phone and stepped back, waiting.

There was a tense silence as the phone rang before Gon began to speak.

"I'm Gon, one of Killua-kun's friends. Is Killua-kun there?"

There was short silence before faintly heard the dial tone. Whoever it was had hung up on Gon. I narrowed my eyes and snatched the phone out of Gon's hand and hung it up before picking it up again, dialling the number quickly. I waited as the phone rung, seething silently. I could feel Gon radiating frustration behind me and I was glad to know he was upset as well.

'How dare he hang up without giving us a single chance!? That hell was wrong with this ass!?'

"Yes, this is the butler's office." The voice that answered was calm but very stuck up. I disliked the person on the line immediately.

I sucked in a large breath, seeing Leorio plug his ear behind me.

"HI! YOU DON'T KNOW ME BUT I AM VERY PISSED OFF RIGHT NOW! YOU HAVE NO RIGHT TO HANG UP ON GON WHEN HE WAS BEING NOTHING BUT POLITE TO YOU! NOW, I'M GOING TO HAND YOU OVER TO GON AND YOU BETTER APOLIGISE GODAMNIT! WE'RE JUST HERE TO SEE KILLUA!" I panted and held out the phone to said green clad boy, almost smacking him in the face.

Gon grabbed the phone from my hand and took in his own deep breath, preparing to do what I just did without waiting for an apology.

"HOW COULD YOU POSSIBLY KNOW THAT!? PUT KILLUA ON THE PHONE!" Gon yelled and my ears began to ring. Maybe I should have given yelling like that a second thought.

There was a brief moment of silence before Gon nodded. "Yeah."

Another silence and Gon suddenly scowled.

"If you put Killua on the phone he'll recognize me!" Gon exclaimed, not happy with what the butler on the other end of the line was saying.

There was another pause and Gon's eyes widened but he stayed silent. I got curious and pulled the phone far enough away from his ear so I could hear too.

"There are many other ways to mimic a person's voice." The toneless voice on the line stated and I guessed he had mimicked Gon's voice. "Next, you'll claim that he'll recognize you by sight. There are only a few methods by which you could perfectly mimic someone's appearance. But it isn't impossible."

I fumed and opened my mouth to retort but he began to speak again.

"Additionally, it's possible that someone forced you to approach Killua-sama for sinister purposes."

"That's total bullshit!" I hissed into the phone. "We'd never harm Killua, even if our lives depended on it!"

"As long as the threat exists," The butler continued on, ignoring what I had said. "I cannot let you meet with Killua-sama. The Zoldyck family practices the trade of assassination. Naturally, it has made enemies. As butlers, our duty is to guard our masters from their enemies. I apologize, but please leave." With that, the butler hung up the phone.

I grit my teeth as Gon hung up the phone before storming outside. I followed behind him.

Gon pulled his fishing rod off his back and flung the wire over the wall, making sure it was secure before he slowly began to climb up. Leorio stormed up to him and began trying to talk him down but it was no use, Gin had made up his mind.

I waited near the booth's doorway for Zebro, once he stepped out, I quickly reached inside his jacket and yanked out the key, running up to the Intruders' door.

"Gon!" I called to the climbing boy. "I'll see you over there!"

However, just as I shoved the key in the lock, a strong and wrinkled hand grabbed my wrist and pulled my hand away from the door.

"Good grief." Zebro sighed from behind me, holding my wrist in a secure grip. "I was going to give you four the key anyway."

All four of us paused and turned to Zebro in surprise. Gon dropped down from the small amount he had climbed and pulled the wire free, wheeling it in, before he and the other two rushed over to us.

"Really?" Gon questioned.

Zebro nodded and released my wrist. "Yes. To make amends, I'll accompany you through the door. It's possible that Mike may recognize me and decide not to attack." Zebro explained, turning to the door. "Though, I'm almost 100% percent certain he'll kill us all."

"You can't do that." Gon cut in with a frown. "I don't want to cause you any trouble."

"Yeah, old man." I added in. "You're still young, you got a lot you can do with your life, don't throw it away for us."

Zebro smiled down at me. "I think you have it the wrong way around, besides, I have made up my mind. I'm coming with you." Zebro's smile dropped and his expression became serious. "The result will be the same even if I stay behind. If I send young Killua's friends to their deaths, I'd never be able to face him again. If you die, I will also die."

"I understand now." Gon sighed. "I didn't stop to consider your situation. Sorry."

I smiled at Gon. He was such a nice boy.

"You must like animals, Gon-kun." Zebro suddenly stated, seemingly random

Gon blinked in surprise. "Uh, yeah."

"Just as I thought. Did you grow up playing in the countryside?"

"Yep! How did you know?"

"Gon-kun, I'm going to open the Testing Gate again." Zebro said, surprising us and brushing off Gon's question. "I want you to see Mike for yourself."

As Zebro said, he opened the first gate again, with just enough space for us to fit through. As I slipped through I smiled up at Zebro.

"Thanks for humouring us, old man." I said before I slipped through completely, followed by Leorio.

When Zebro came through he let the gate close behind him, there was no going back for now. I stared at the vast forest that stretched out in front of us, wondering how long it would take to walk to the Zoldyck House from here.

"Is it really safe for us to be here?" I muttered to Zebro as he came to stand beside me.

"Yes. You've entered through the Testing Gate so you'll be safe." Zebro explained, making me feel slightly relieved. Zebro suddenly cupped his hands around his mouth and yelled out into the forest. "Mike! Come here!"

His voice echoed through the forest for a moment before a low growl echoed back at us.

I froze, and stared into the dark forest in anticipation, the others doing the same, though, they seemed to be calmer.

There was the sound of heavy footsteps and rustling trees before, from the darkness, something emerged. It was a giant wild dog, its fur mattered with dirt and grime as it stared down at us with cold, soulless and calculating eyes.

Those eyes.

Like Killua's.

No. Not like Killua's, they were somehow bleaker then that, more lonely.

As the frightening guard dog laid down, continuing to stare us down, I noticed that Gon, as well as Kurapika and Leorio, had tensed beside me. I was surprised to feel the waves of fear rolling off of Gon as he stared at Mike with wide eyes. I was also very surprised that I wasn't afraid myself. Logically, I should have been, especially since I had feared the creature even before I had properly seen it, but now that I had seen the large and intimidating dog and its razor sharp claws in person I just couldn't bring myself to be afraid. It was probably the loneliness I could see deep down in his eyes that reassured me that he wasn't just a cold and calculating killer.

Just like Killua.

"Gon-kun, do you understand now?" Zebro suddenly spoke up, breaking me out of my thoughts and making me realize I had been staring Mike dead in the eyes this whole time. "This is a trained hunting dog. It's nothing like the wild animals you're accustomed to."

I found myself unconsciously comparing Killua to a trained hunting dog and it made me feel so sad for him.

Just like Mike, he was trained to kill and listen to no one else's orders. His eyes was the same, so lifeless and dark, filled with a deep longing for something else, even when he had been smiling it was there. The only difference between the two was that Mike was a dog and Killua was a human being. Although both had a will of their own, only one had the choice. And that was Killua, but even then he had his choice and even his will ripped away from him by the man that called himself his brother.

These thoughts disturbed me greatly and I looked back into Mike's eyes sadly. I didn't want Killua to become like Mike.

"You must have expected to be able communicate with him." Zebro continued on. "Until you saw his eyes. Mike is currently memorizing the appearances and scents of humans he's never seen. There's nothing else on his mind. He's like a machine."

'Like a machine…'

I frowned at Mike, feeling sad for the poor dog. He'd probably been broken down and then rebuilt into a killing machine, and not by choice.

"Gon-kun," Zebro said quietly, turning to the frightened boy. "Could you fight him?"

Gon gulped and shook his head, sweating nervously. "N-No, I'm scared. I don't want to fight him!"

I sighed and smiled. The boy was too honest for his own good. Though, while others would take his confession for weakness I saw it as a strength. The strength to be honest in the face of fear. I'd never seen that in my life until I had met Gon. I guessed growing up in the slums gave different people different views.

Zebro turned and smiled at all of us. "Well, how long will you be here?"

"Isn't it obvious?" I spoke, grinning up at the old man. "There's no way we're leaving without Killua. Right, Gon?" I turned to the spikey haired boy and he looked at me with determination before looking up at Zebro.

"That's right!" Gon said firmly.

Zebro smiled down at us before gesturing down the path the led deeper into the dark forest. "Then please come this way." His tone was much lighter than before and my chest tightened.

Was he going to take us to see Killua?

We followed the old man down the path silently, getting further and further away from the massive guard dog. I stopped and turned to face Mike, smiling sadly as I raised my hand to wave. "See ya, Mike." I called to him softly before turning and catching us to the group, walking behind. I glanced behind me and saw Mike smiling after us with the same blank eyes.

I was pretty sure that, if I had the power to, I'd help Mike as well as Killua.

I always did have a soft spot for dogs.

**Hope I didn't let you guys down and I hope you enjoyed!**

**I look forward to more ideas, opinions and critiques!**

**Sorry nothing much happened, I just wanted to update for you guys and I felt that this was the right place to end it at.**


	10. Testing X Gate X OPENS!

**Hello my dearest readers~ I am in a very good mood today!**

**.**

**RESPONSE TO **_**A fan girl**_**:**

**I've been thinking about that myself, actually. I've come up with a plan to finish it off at the Anime's ending but then making a sequel of sorts. Also, for more content I'm planning on writing two side stories based off of the movies.**

**.**

**RESPONSE TO **_**D**_**:**

**I won't, I promise! Wow, this took you 2 hours? Thank you for sparing so much time for it!**

**.**

**RESPONSE TO **_**Enemotou**_**:**

**Oh I absolutely **_**love **_**Problem Children Are Coming from Another World, Aren't they? A second season would be amazing!**

**Same with me, though, since I wrote it I know what's supposed to be there so my mind unconsciously reads what's supposed to be there and not the mistakes.**

**A Mary-Sue is pretty much an original character that has everything going for them, perfect life, perfect looks, gets everyone to instantly love them, has no flaws and is (For some anime fandoms) stronger then the main bad guys and can beat them without even trying. Just your average over powered character.**

***continuously slamming my head against the nearest wall* stupid! Stupid! I feel so stupid! I'll get right on those mistakes as soon as I can! Thank you for pointing them out again. Oh, here's the thing with the 'inn' my 'n' key is broken and doubles up sometimes. I go back and look through the chapters for them so they aren't riddled with 'inns' everywhere but I guess I missed one. **

**Everyone steals Kurapika's lines? I didn't know that. Actually, as you can probably guess I write my chapters as I rewatch the episodes and I wrote Kuragi's response before Kurapika responded in the episode so that was accidental. I was going to fix it and have Kurapika say it instead or add in some more but I just wanted Kuragi to have a little more input, I guess. But don't worry, I'll try not to steal his lines from now on! XD**

**Yeah, Kuragi is my favourite OC right now. I feel like I've given her an actual personality, unlike my other abominations…**

**NotSureIfIWillHaveThisUpByTheEndOfTheWeekendSoI'mSorry!**

**Edit: YepNotUpByTheWeekendSORRY!**

**.**

**RESPONSE TO **_**winddemon199**_**:**

**Oh, I really love Mike, I really love dogs in general, and that love is kinda bleeding into Kuragi as I write her. Meh, I'll keep Kalluto a poor, gender confused, little boy, I like to stick to cannon and I think feminine looking boys are adorable! (I sound like Hisoka…) Yeah, I'm trying to keep Kuragi fairly weak compared to the others and slowly build her up to their level. I'm also working on her Hatsu and trying to find one not-so-OP but one that could fit with the story and the power she needs. It's harder than I thought it would be…**

**My friends and I are raging over how long it's taking. I'm also waiting for the second part of No Regrets OVA for Levi, the wait is killing me!**

**.**

**RESPONSE TO **_**Caliope07**_**:**

**Oh! I really like those scenes, you bet they'll be in here!**

**.**

**RESPONSE TO **_**KagamineBanana:**_

**Yeah, I'm a dog lover so poor Mike just breaks my heart~ IF YOU'RE TIRED GET SOME SLEEP! BAKA!**

**.**

**I Don't OWN Hunter X Hunter.**

_/10/ Testing X Gate X OPENS!_

We had been walking for around five minutes now and I was starting to wonder where Zebro was taking us. I was about to open my mouth and ask when the trees ahead of us thinned out and I could see some light. We came into a clearing and ahead of us sat a two-story house.

Zebro turned to us with a smile as we walked up to the doorstep.

"Here are the servants' quarters." He explained. "It's getting late, so you can stay here for the night."

I winced when he pushed the door open, not liking the scrapping noise is made against the floor. However, I couldn't help but notice the deep scratch marks the door left behind.

'_Whoa…What the hell?'_

"Please, come in." Zebro smiled at us, stepping to the side and holding the door open for us all.

We all looked around curiously as we walked in. I liked the place almost immediately. It had a nice and home-y feel to it that reminded me of home, even though it was much nicer and grander than my dank little home in the slums.

"Hey, I'm back!" Zebro called as he came in and closed the door behind himself.

I heard the sound of footsteps before someone appeared down the stairs. It was a scruffy looking man with a cigarette in his mouth.

I scrunched up my nose and took a step back. I hated smoking, almost everyone in the slums did it, the smoke bothered my lungs and I hated the smell. Palm herself had recently taken up the habit and I had taken it upon myself to try and get her to quit but I wasn't successful.

When his eyes landed on us, he scowled and leaned against the railing off the stair.

"Oh." He grumbled quietly. "You rarely bring guest, Zebro."

Zebro chuckled as he came to stand next to us, smiling. "This is Seaquant." Zebro introduced, gesturing to the scruffy man. "He works here with me."

"Good evening." Gon chirped, greeting Seaquant politely.

I sighed and decided to follow the boy's example. I raised my hand in a lazy wave. "Yo."

Seaquant just stared at us blankly for a moment before he scoffed and turned away, stuffing his hands in his pockets. "If you managed to win over Zebro, you must be special." He sent a lazy wave over his shoulder as he walked out of the room. "Well, make yourselves at home. Though it won't be easy here."

I blinked and grinned after the man, liking him immediately. He was a lot like me, though, that could either mean we were going to get along swimmingly or it was going to be total hell.

"Well, let's have some tea, shall we?" Zebro piped up, following after Seaquant.

We all followed after him silently, though I was more energetic than the others. I really like Zebro's tea but mostly because it was extra sweet.

Zebro lead us into a small kitchenette with a dining table before smiling at us and offering us seats. We all sat down while Zebro began to prepare tea, though, Seaquant stayed standing, leaning against the wall casually with his arms crossed and still smoking. I sat across from Leorio and next to Kurapika, whom was across from Gon.

"So," Seaquant spoke up after a brief awkward silence. "Why are you four here anyway, eh?"

I smiled and politely thanked Zebro when he placed a cup of tea in front of me before I answered Seaquant, beating the others to it. "We're here to see Killua."

Seaquant raised a brow at me curiously. "You want to see young Killua?"

I nodded and opened my mouth to elaborate but I paused when the table shook slightly, curtesy of Zebro putting down the tea-kettle **lightly**. I stared at the kettle as Zebro sat down at the head of the table with a smile, his own cup of tea in front of him.

'_No way! How much does that weigh!?'_

Seaquant suddenly busted up laughing, catching my attention again. "That's a riot!"

I glared at the scruffy man. "If you're not going to take us seriously, then shut up!" I snapped at him.

"Yeah! We're dead serious, ya know!" Leorio butted in, backing me up.

Seaquant sighed at us. "Then let me give you a warning: Give up, and go home."

My blood boiled and I grit my teeth, standing up and slamming my hands on the table, startling the other.

"Excuse me!?" I yelled, glaring at Seaquant. "Do you really think we give up just like that!? Killua is our friend! There is no way we're leaving here without him!"

Seaquant didn't even bat an eye at my outburst, remaining calm. "Zebro told you about the Testing Gate, right? That should give you an idea of what this place is like."

I was stopped from biting Seaquant's head off by Gon, who spoke up calmly.

"We understand that it won't be easy." He muttered, staring at the steaming cup in front of him before he turned his burning gaze to Seaquant. "But I'm not leaving. Not until I see Killua!"

I puffed and sat down, crossing my arms and glaring at the ceiling. "You got that right." I muttered, staring at Seaquant from the corner of my eye.

Seaquant frowned, staring down at Gon as he turned to stare into his cup again with a melancholic look.

"When Killua was in trouble, I wasn't there for him." Gon muttered quietly, his brow frowning. I flinched and frowned at the ceiling.

'_I had been there for him but I…I couldn't help him. I had been totally useless.'_

"If I had been there," Gon continued, his voice hardening. "I could have stopped Killua! Killua is my close friend!"

'_He should have been there…If he had been there he could have snapped Killua out of it…Goddamnit! I couldn't do anything!'_

I took a deep breath and felt my eyes sting. I quickly shut them and titled my head back.

I wouldn't cry, crying was weakness…

The room was quiet, so silent that if someone dropped a feather we would probably hear it.

"Haha."

I jumped and my eyes snapped open in surprise when Zebro's quiet chuckle broke the silence. I stared at the smiling man as he placed a gentle hand on Gon's shoulder.

"We understand." Zebro said. "Then, why not do some training here?"

"Training?" Gon and I managed to question at the same time.

"Hey, Zebro…" Seaquant grumbled, giving the old man a disapproving look as he clearly didn't like Zebro's proposition.

Zebro rushed off Seaquant, opting to instead address Gon. "Listen to me, Gon-kun." The older man smiled and glanced at me as well. "And Kuragi-chan. You four are allowed to work together to open the door."

My eyes widened at the old man in surprise.

'_Does he know about my condition? My doubt?'_

I decided to disregard my own thoughts and instead grinned at Zebro, sending him a grateful look before he continued to explain.

"With a little training, it should be possible." Zebro paused to look at our stunned faces, smiling widely. "So, How about it?"

Gon was the first to break the silence, turning away from the old man with a frown. "I don't like the idea of being tested…"

"But there's no other way…" Kurapika finished for him, grinning.

Leorio stood, grinning. "We'll just have to do it!" He chimed in.

The five men in the room suddenly turned to me and I shrunk in my seat. "Wh-What?" I huffed, looking away. Though, I couldn't stop the smile from working its way onto my lips. "You know I'm in, do you even have to ask?"

"Then I'll need you to put these on." Zebro spoke up as he stood, before he left the room.

I looked at my three friends in confusion, their faces mirroring how I felt. Not a moment later did Zebro come back, carrying with him odd looking vests.

He went to Gon first and handed him a vest, though the boy seemed to struggle with holding it. Next was Kurapika and he too had the same problem. Then came Leorio, whom put his vest on right away, only to stumble forward and fall onto his hands and knees.

"H-How is this so heavy…." Leorio wheezed, struggling to hold himself up.

When Zebro finally approached me with the final best I was already sweating nervously, if they were struggling that much with the weight I'd probably get squashed like a bug. Okay, that was over exaggerating a bit, but still.

I gulped down the lump in my throat as Zebro smiled down at me. I straightened up and gave my best determined face.

"B-bring it on, old man!"

Zebro, however, didn't move and only smiled wider.

"Oi…" I muttered my nervousness getting the better of me. "What's up, old man?"

"You have a muscle defect, don't you?" Zebro suddenly stated, his smile getting softer.

I blinked in surprise, my shoulders slumping. "H-how did you know?" I questioned, genuinely curious.

"My granddaughter was born with underdeveloped muscles as well," Zebro explained, "So It's easy to tell. Lift up your arms, I'll help you put it on."

I sighed and smiled, doing as he asked.

'_Does that mean he lightened the vest for me, or something?'_

My thoughts were proven very wrong when the vest was slipped over my head and onto my shoulders. I grunted as my legs buckled instantly, my torso being dragged forward and onto the ground. I couldn't even stay on my hands and knees. My legs were folded underneath me and I had my arms folded in front of me, it was all I could do to stop my face from bashing into the floor.

I grit my teeth and forced myself to look up, sweating from the strain on my back. Zebro was no longer smiling, he was staring down at me seriously.

"Wh-What the hell, old man!? Are you trying to kill me!?" I croaked, trying to force myself up but failing.

"I'm very sorry for not warning you beforehand, but I don't plan on going easier on you just because of your condition. In fact, your vest weights ten kilograms more than the others'." Zebro explained and I blanched. "However, that is only because of the determination I can see in your eyes; you want to get stronger, don't you?"

I narrowed my eyes at the old man and grit my teeth, pushing myself up slowly, gasping in relief when I was finally kneeling, though I had to keep myself upright with my hands on my knees. Sweat trickled down the side of my head as I grinned up at Zebro. "Damn right I do, old man!"

I was in no way angry at Zebro for doing this, quite the opposite actually, I was absolutely ecstatic. I was finally getting the chance to do what the Hunter Exam failed to do. I was going to get stronger.

Zebro smiled down at me again before he turned to the three boys, who were still struggling with their jackets, although Kurapika and Gon had put theirs on.

"Your vest weigh fifty Kilograms." Zebro explained and my jaw dropped. That meant mine weighed sixty! "Please wear them at all times, excluding when you sleep. I'll make it heavier as you get used to it."

I gapped and fell onto my back in defeat.

'_Oh this is so going to kill me…'_

I could see Seaquant smirking at me from his place against the wall and I grumbled, raising my middle finger to him. Seaquant grumbled and looked away.

"That's not very lady like, little girl." Seaquant muttered and I dropped my hand.

"Do you think I care?" I relied sharply, staring at the ceiling.

"Now," Zebro spoke up again, interrupting before Seaquant could retort as he sat back down and sipped his tea. "Why don't you all sit back down? Your tea is getting cold."

The boys all took the seats while I struggled to stand, one I did I stumbled over to the table, straining to stay standing. I sighed as I sat back down and reached for my cup, very much needing the warm and sweet drink. Though, just as my fingers brushed the cup I pulled my hand away and scowled at the cup suspiciously, remembering how the kettle had shaken the table. The cups were most likely insanely heavy as well.

The boys proved my hunch right yet again when they tried to lift the cups but couldn't even manage to lift them an inch of the table.

"What the…?" Leorio ground out as he strained even more.

Zebro smiled and placed his cup back on the table. "The cups weigh twenty kilograms while the teapot weighs forty kilograms." Zebro listed off with a smile. "All furniture and utensils in this house weigh over twenty kilograms apiece."

"I see…" Kurapika sighed, smiling as he began to sweat from exertion. "So this will serve as training."

"It's useless." Seaquant spoke up, finally leaving his place on the wall and walking up to the table as he addressed Zebro casually. "They'll give up in two or three days. Though…" Seaquant turned to me with a smirk. "I doubt the little girl will last a day."

I grumbled under my breath but decided to ignore him, letting Leorio yell for me as I tried to pick up the cup. I could really use the tea.

"Seaquant." Zebro spoke up, cutting off Leorio's yelling, though there was a slight warning to his tone. "I believe your shift has already started."

Seaquant just shrugged casually, either not noticing or ignoring Zebro's tone. "Oh, that's right…" He mumbled then walked out, to go do whatever the hell his job was. Leorio was still fuming though.

"I'm sorry for that." Zebro apologised, frowning. "He's not a bad person."

Leorio sighed before standing, at first I thought he might follow after Seaquant, but that was before he opened his mouth.

"B-By the way, where's the bathroom?" He stammered out awkwardly and I snorted.

Zebro smiled politely and gestured at the door near the hall to the right. "Through the door over there."

I stared at the door and a sense of dread filled me when I saw that the door was cast out of iron. It probably weighed a shit ton as well. Leorio seemed to have realized the same thing because his face fell.

"I'm guessing…" Leorio muttered nervously. "That the door is also…" he trailed off as he turned to Zebro with a dreading look.

"Yes," Zebro confirmed his unfinished question with a smile. "It weighs five hundred kilograms."

"F-five hundred!?" Leorio yelled and ran to the door, trying to shove it open in vein. "What!? NO WAY! I CAN'T HOLD IT!"

I slammed my head on the table and tried to hold in my laughter as Leorio began to panic and shove at the bathroom door harder.

'_Poor guy…'_

***Meanwhile - At the Zoldyck Residence***

A woman in a luxurious dress and a bandaged face- Kikyo Zoldyck- walked silently down a dark hallway, being tailed closely by her feminine son, Kalluto. Neither of them spoke until they came to a heavy wooden door, Kikyo breaking the silence.

"Kalluto-chan, open the door." She ordered her son quietly.

Kalluto complied and opened the door for his mother, letting her step through before he followed silently, closing the door behind him.

Inside the dully lit room was Killua, hanging limply from chains, his body beaten, bruised and bloody. In front of him was his older and plump brother, Milluki, standing with a grin on his face and a whip in his hand.

"Kil," Kikyo cooed, her voice suddenly sweet as she spoke to her younger son. "Have you learned your lesson yet?"

"It's no use, Mama." Milluki scoffed loudly, obviously unhappy. "He isn't even the least bit sorry." He turned to his mother with a sadistic grin, holding the whip in his hands tightly. "We need to make him suffer more."

Kikyo tensed and closed her fan with a resounding snap, growling at her plump son. "Milluki! Shut your mouth!"

Milluki flinched in response to his mother's harsh tone, frowning and turning away. Kalluto, meanwhile, was staying obediently by his mother's side silently.

Kikyo turned back to the beaten, and seemingly unconscious, Killua and used her sweet tone again. "Kil, stop being so stubborn and say that you're sorry."

Three wasn't any response from the white haired boy, not even a twitch.

"Oh, right." Milluki spoke up again, turning back to his younger brother with a smirk. "Those friends of yours…the noisy girl and…Gon, was it?" Milluki didn't notice it, but Killua's hand twitched. "They'd be better off just leaving, but it sounds like they want to try the Testing Gate."

Killua slowly rose his head, staring at his older brother blankly.

"Gon and Kuragi are here…" He muttered, more to himself then the other three in the room.

Kikyo grit her teeth and turned back to Milluki angrily.

"Milluki! You're talking too much!" She scolded before turning back to Killua, soft again. "Listen to me, Kil…"

Killua cut his mother of angrily, narrowing his eyes at her. "You didn't even tell me!?"

There wasn't a single warning before Killua was suddenly attacked with the whip as Milluki glared at him.

"Don't yell at Mama!" Milluki hissed angrily at his younger brother, only for his mother to stomp forward angrily.

"I told you to shut your mouth!" Kikyo yelled at the chubby boy then, once again, gently addressing Killua. "Oh, I didn't think I needed to tell you, Kil…Since it's impossible for them to open the front gate anyway."

Killua just smiled, completely unaffected by the blow he had suffered beforehand. "They'll do it." He said confidently. "They'll open the gate."

'_Gon's strong enough, he'll open it.' _Killua thought to himself then inwardly chuckled. _'And Kuragi is too head strong not to at least try if Gon is going to.'_

Kikyo grit her teeth, feeling anger towards Killua before she took a breath and calmed herself.

"Oh, that's nice." Kikyo muttered in her usual sweet tone, though, it sounded strained. "But they'll never make it here-"

Killua rose his head and stared at his mother, seemingly innocent as he cut her off again. "They will. They'll do it. They will defiantly make it here…"

**HunterXxXxXHunter *Back with Kuragi***

Gon, Kurapika, Leorio and I stood in front of the Testing Gate, silently staring up at it confidently. It had been 2 days since we had started our training and all of us had gotten used to the extra weight of our vests, even me, surprisingly.

Zebro and Seaquant were watching from the sidelines. Gon was the first to step forward, ready to take on the Testing Gate, and I was ready to follow him but we were stopped by a grinning Leorio.

"Wait up, Gon!" As he stepped forward. "You just watch."

"Huh, why?" Gon questioned, turning to Leorio.

"You need to let your arm heal first." Kurapika explained to him.

"Yeah, as long as Kuragi, Kurapika and I can open it, it doesn't matter. Let us handle it!" Leorio grinned.

"Okay." Gon complied, but he seemed a little disappointed.

Leorio walked over to the gate, followed by Kurapika and I. As I passed Gon I sent him a smile.

"Don't worry you're simple head, Gon. We got this!" I grinned and pet his spiky hair as I passed, trying to cheer him up.

I stood in between Kurapika and Leorio as they placed their hands on the gate. I followed their examples and put a hand on each gate.

"Let's do this, Kuragi! Kurapika!" Leorio exclaimed and we both nodded.

We all shoved as hard as we could, straining against the gate. I swear we stood there for a good five minutes before we gave. I fell onto my back, panting, while Kurapika collapsed to his knees and Leorio sat down, neither of them in a better shape.

"It's no use…" Kurapika panted. "It won't budge an inch."

"Damnit!" Leorio grumbled. "But we just started out training. If we work hard enough we can do it!"

"This sucks!" I whined, sitting up and turning to Gon with a frown. I saw him staring down at his broken arm with a frown and I sighed. We needed his help.

I sighed and stood, walking over to Zebro.

"Hey, old man." I spoke up, catching his attention as I approached. "Out of curiosity, what's the date?"

I had lost track of the date well into the Hunter Exam and I hadn't bothered to check it until now.

Zebro looked down at me and smiled. "It's the 12th of March, why do you ask?"

I hummed and rocked back on my heels. "Oh, no reason." I replied casually, staring down at my feet.

'_Hmm…It's so close already…I wonder if I'll make it home on time…'_

.

.

After that, we kicked up our training determinedly, even resorting to using the furniture and cups as weights. Gon even snuck off to go do his own training but unluckily for him Leorio and Kurapika tracked him down and scolded him. I, however, supported the boy and never tattled him out when I noticed he began to sneak off at night.

Zebro continued to add to our weights, giving us arm and legs weights as well as the vests, though, he always made sure I had ten extra kilograms compared to the others.

It wasn't until two weeks after are first attempt did we try again, only to yield the same result. It didn't budge an inch.

I groaned and kicked the Testing Gate in frustration, thoroughly done with the stupid hunk of stone.

"I hate you, I hate you, I hate y-!"

"This will never work…" Seaquant's grumble cut off my own weaker grumbling and I huffed, glaring at him, so not in the mood for his shit. "You kids need to wake up." He scolded.

"In that case," Leorio growled angrily as he stood up straight. "You should quit watching us and do your job!"

"Yeah, Scruffy! Butt out!" I added in, finally catching my breath.

Seaquant just scoffed and turned away in annoyance, just serving to piss me off more. I growled and stood up straight, taking a threatening step towards him.

'_Why I ought to…'_

"Gon, and Kuragi, are one of us." Kurapika's firm voice interrupted my murderous thoughts and I paused when I heard my name. "And they wishes to see their friend. It's only right that we should help them."

My shoulders slumped and I smiled, wondering how it was I came to befriend such amazing people.

"Okay!" Leorio suddenly yelled, placing his hands against the Testing Gate again. "Let's give it another shot!"

I spun around as Kurapika placed his hands against the gate as well.

"Hell yeah, let's go!" I exclaimed in agreement and got in between them again, placing my hands on the gate as well and gritting my teeth, shoved alongside the others.

"Man, you can't just mindlessly push." Seaquant spoke up, catching our attention and we stopped pushing, turning to him. "Match your timing. You have to push both doors, with all your strength, simultaneously or the gate won't ever open." With that, he strolled away back to the booth with a scowl.

"Thank you!" I called after him. "You're not such an ass when you want to be!"

I laughed when he just flipped me off over his shoulder.

"Oi, Kuragi!" Leorio grumbled from behind me and I turned. He and Kurapika had their hands against the gate again and were waiting for me.

"Yeah, yeah." I mumbled and placed my hands against the gate yet again. "Okay."

"One." Leorio started.

"Two." Kurapika continued.

I grinned.

'_This is so childish…'_

"Three!" I yelled and we all shoved with the last of our strength.

'_But who am I to say, I'm totally childish!'_

The gate suddenly opened a fraction and my eyes widened.

"Yes! We're doing-" I had spoken way too soon.

The gate slammed in our faces and sent us flying back and landing on our backs. I stared up at the sky with a goofy smile.

'_We did it…We did it…'_

"Leorio! Kuragi! Kurapika!" Gon exclaimed as he ran over to us, grinning like a madman.

The two boys sat up beside me and smiled at the boy.

"It moved." Leorio stated happily.

"It sure did…" I breathed, grinning even wider as I sat up and looked at Gon.

Said boy's smile only widened even more, his eyes sparkling.

'_We did it.'_

**HunterXxXxXHunter**

The time had come, after another straight week of training, we were finally going to open the Testing Gate. We weren't going to stop until it opened.

Leorio and Kurapika were limbering up in preparation while I just stood next to Gon. I elbowed the boy and caught his attention as I glanced at his arm in the sling.

"So, are you going to try today?" I asked, smirking. I was sure all that 'secret' training had paid off.

Gon grinned and shrugged. "Maybe."

I rolled my eyes and ruffled his hair, making him laugh.

"Don't 'maybe' me boy, you know damn well whether you'll be helping or not!"

"Hey, why don't you try removing those vests today?" Zebro suddenly spoke up, catching Leorio and Kurapika's attention as well as breaking up Gon and I's little conversation.

"Music to my ears!" Leorio sing-songed and immediately threw off his vest and, to my surprise, creating a small crater inn the ground. The crater go even bigger when Kurapika's vest joined Leorio's.

I grinned and threw off my vest as well, making the crater even bigger. I sighed and stretched, feeling so much lighter as I cracked my joints and groaning.

"Oh, yeah~!" I sighed, bending over backwards and cracking my back before standing up straight. "I. Feel. **Amazing~**"

We strutted over to the gate, confident that we could open it now that we didn't have to wear those stupid vests. We placed our hands against the gate and braced ourselves, ready to time it just right.

"Let's do this, guy!" Leorio exclaimed, grinning.

"Yeah!" Kurapika and I shot back.

"Go!" I yelled and we all shoved.

The First Gate slowly began to open and I shoved harder, digging my heels into the dirt, but it didn't open anymore. There wasn't enough room for any off us to slip through, not even me.

'_Come on, Gon….Get you butt in gear!'_

Just as I was giving up another pair of hands appeared next to mine. I turned and grinned at Gon, sweat trickling down the side of my face.

"Gon!" We all yelled together; me in relief and the two boys in surprise.

"About damn time!" I added in, turning my attention back to the gate.

"Why are you using your left arm?" Leorio asked in surprise.

"It's okay. My arm is healed." Gon answered, smiling.

"Yeah, yeah!" I butted in, beginning to feel strained. "That's all well and good! But can you please just help us open this damn gate!?"

They all fell silent but nodded. On the silent count of three we all began to push harder, Gon included.

The gate suddenly shot open and I yelped as Gon and I fell through, landing on our faces.

"Ow…" Gon groaned as he sat up and I flopped onto my back, grinning and not even mad I had landed on my face.

"Hell yeah!" I yelled, hopping onto my feet. "We did it!"

"YES!" Leorio yelled as he continued to hold the door open, panting.

"It opened!" Kurapika added in.

"Come on, you guys! Get your asses over here!" I laughed and pulled them through, the gate slamming closed behind them. They collapsed and leaned against their knees, laughing.

The gate was opened again and Zebro and Seaquant walked through. Zebro chuckled and smiled widely.

"Congratulations, you four." Zebro said.

Seaquant just smiled and looked away. I grinned at him and came over, holding my fist out to him. He stared at it for a moment before he smiled wider and bumped his fist with mine and I laughed.

"You know, you're way better to hang with when you're not an ass." I chuckled and he scowled at me and roughly ruffled my hair.

"Shut up, brat!" He growled but I just knocked his hand away.

"Well, now that you have opened the Testing Gate you're now free to advance. Just follow the path, and head for the mountain. The mansion should be somewhere up there." Zebro instructed us with a smile. "I'm ashamed to admit that even though I've worked her for twenty years, I've never been up the mountain. Sorry that I couldn't be any help."

"No, that isn't true." Gon spoke up with a grin. "You've be a huge help."

Zebro smiled down at the boy. "Thank you. Now, you should get going. I wish you luck."

We nodded and turned, ready to head up there and get Killua back. As everyone walked ahead I turned to back to Zebro and Seaquant, smiling.

"Thanks for everything, Zebro." I muttered and bowed politely, the way Palm had taught me to.

Zebro smiled and bowed to me. "No, I should thank you. You remind me so much of my granddaughter, I was glad to help. Now, you should get going before your friends leave without you."

I stood up straight again along with Zebro. I sent him one more wave before I turned and sprinted after the boys.

We were finally making progress. We were finally on our way to rescue Killua.


	11. Killua X Returns!

**I am so happy~ Right now~ I don't even know why though….Maybe cause all my assignments for this term are done?**

**.**

**RESPONSE TO **_**Enemotou**_**:**

**IKR? All the anime fans I know have never even heard of it, it's total bullshit I tell ya! **

**Well, Izayoi is kind of a Mary-sue in the anime itself, so I think you're good.**

**Ohh, that's what happened to my old laptop, even the letters were mixed around. I understand and it sucks. I wouldn't be able to type on my phone to save my life, though, my fingers are too fat for the tiny keyboard DX**

**Kurapika is love, Kurapika is life. I've, oddly enough, never read a story like that…maybe I haven't read enough. He was originally my favourite character but then Killua just stole my heart during the Greed Island Arc X3**

**Really? Oh, that's awesome. Maybe I should contact Togashi and tell him to add Kuragi to the manga post-haste XD**

**No, no. No one is rushing me, I swear. Actually, I just rushing myself. I've had a bad history of taken almost half a year to update at times because I get busy or get hit with a bad case of writers block and I don't want that to happen to Stand Alone.**

**(I feel like I'm reviewing your review)**

**Yes, mostly from the stress and one of her jobs…Which I shan't tell you about because I'm planning to reveal it later. :3**

**Well, due to her weak muscles she was well behind Gon and the others in terms of strength and stamina so the extra 10kilos should even her out to around Gon's strength, if not, maybe a little weaker. After all, she is speed based, not strength based.**

**Me too, when I first found out Kalluto was boy I couldn't stop laughing. I still feel sorry for him though, being dressed up by your mother to look like a girl….It must suck.**

**Thank you, again, for pointing those out. I'm gonna get right on them!**

**I actually have no idea…I kind of assumed he would have had a family by his age so, yeah. I think I broke cannon a little there.**

**They'll definitely meet Kil' again. I don't want to drag out the whole Zoldyck Arc (if you can even call it an arc) so I'm planning to wrap it up in this chapter.**

**NOBACKOFFHEISMINE! Ahem…**

**Aw, you called me senpai! Then I shall notice you always, Ene-chan X3**

**.**

**RESPONSE TO **_**winddemon199**_**:**

**Yeah, I know. I just went along with the 2011 adaption anyway.**

**.**

**RESPONSE TO **_**KagamineBanana**_**:**

**Why do I immediately think of FMA when you say that…? We should probably run then, the gate babies are coming…DON'T MAKE ME COME OVER THERE AND KNOCK YOU OUT!**

**.**

**I Don't Own Hunter X Hunter.**

**.**

_/11/ Killua X Returns! _

The path to the mountain took longer to traverse then I thought it would have. It had been hours since we had opened the Testing Gate. Though, surprisingly enough, I wasn't feeling tired like I would normally so I guessed the training really had played off in more ways than one. I smiled to myself.

I was finally stronger.

I suddenly collided with Leorio's back, so lost in my thoughts that I hadn't realized the boys had stopped. I peeked around Leorio, curious as to **why **they had stopped, and spied a dark skinned girl staring us down. She was dressed formally in a tailcoat suit and clutched a long staff in her hand as she stood between two stone posts. She was most likely one of the Zoldyck butlers.

"Leave." The young butler said, her tone calm but firm and her expression blank and unchanging. "You're trespassing on private property. I cannot allow you to pass without permission."

"We called ahead," Gon excused, stepping forward. "And we came through the Testing Gate."

"The butlers did not give you permission to enter." The girl stated, making Gon stop in his tracks.

"Who cares!?" I huffed, coming to stand next to Gon with my hands planted firmly on my hips. "Just let us through!"

"What do we need to do to get permission, anyway?" Gon added in, questioning the butler. "I said I was Killua's friend, but they wouldn't put him on!"

"I wouldn't know." She replied simply. "Because no one has ever received permission."

"Then we'll just trespass!" Gon and I yelled out.

"I suppose so." The girl sighed before she thrust her staff into the dirt and drew a line from post to post. "In any case, this is where I draw the line."

Her eyes hardened as she stared us down. "If you take one step beyond this line, I'll remove you by force."

I ground my teeth and took a step forward, only for Gon to hold his arm out and stop me, holding his other arm out to stop Kurapika and Leorio from following my lead. He dropped his arms and walked toward the girl, none of us followed him.

Gon, his expression unwavering, continued forward as he silently challenged the butler. His foot just barely crossed the line before he was sent flying by the girl's staff.

"Gon!" I called out, worried for the boy as he flew past us and collided with the ground with a painful thud. I ran over to the boy as Leorio and Kurapika took out their weapons threateningly. I reached out to help Gon up but he held out his hand as he sat up on his own, looking at the two boys in front of us.

"Leorio! Kurapika! Kuragi! Don't interfere. Let me handle this." Gon ordered as he stood, clutching his bleeding nose in pain. He wiped the blood away and looked up at the girl.

"We don't intend to fight you." Gon explained. "We just want to see Killua."

"Gon…" I whined at the spikey haired boy. "Stop being such a Goody-two-shoes, we could just force our way through."

Gon glanced up at me with a smile on his swelling face. "No."

I pouted at him and crossed my arms.

"Why the hell no-"

"It's doesn't matter what your motives are." The butler cut into our conversation, readying her staff. "I'm simply following my orders. I won't let you pass."

I glared at the girl bitterly.

"Gon-"

"Don't worry." I was cut off yet again, but this time by Gon, as he took off his backpack and dropped it to the ground. "She'll let us pass, I can see it in her eyes…"

I sighed, relenting as the stubborn boy walked past me and advanced toward the girl again. There was no talking him out of anything.

Leorio, Kurapika and I watched silently as Gon got knocked back again.

And again.

And again.

And again.

Gon continued to get smacked around for hours, not wavering a single time as he stood and crossed the line again and again. He's face was a swollen and bleeding mess; nose most likely broken and one of his eyes swollen close. But none of us intervened, just like he had said. We had faith in him.

Though, as Gon stood after yet another blow I could see that the butler was beginning to sweat and the hard look in her eyes was wavering.

"Stop it." She muttered, clutching her staff tighter and shaking her head. "Stay away!"

Gon didn't listen to her at all and continued forward, crossing the line once more before being sent sliding back again in front of us. Though, the blow was weaker so he managed to keep his footing.

"Cut it out!" The butler yelled at Gon, her voice raising in panic. "Don't you realize how futile this is!?" She turned her gaze to us. "Why don't you stop him? Aren't you friends!?"

Leorio and Kurapika remained silent, faces blank, and I smiled.

"It's because we're his friends…" I spoke up. "It's because we're his friends that we don't stop him. He, and I…..We want to see Killua, and we'll do anything to anything in order to do that."

The butler gulped and took a step back her eyes wide. She looked at us like we were insane. Maybe we were, but none of us cared.

"What's the problem?" Gon muttered, raising his head and glaring at the butler. "I'm just here to see my friend. I'm just here to see Killua!"

Gon clenched his fist and lunged forward. "Why do I have to do this!?"

He punched through one of the pillars next to the butler, his foot sliding over the line. There was a tense silence as the butler stared at Gon wide eyed, her guard completely down, and she didn't make a move to knock Gon back.

"Hey." The butler jumped as Gon spoke quietly, looking at her with a smile. "I crossed the line. Aren't you supposed to hit me?"

The butler glanced down in surprise, confirming to herself that Gon had indeed crossed the line. She clutched her staff tightly and gulped, seemingly trying to build up the courage to force him back.

"You're different from Mike…You may try to hide your feelings, but you have a heart. When we mentioned Killua, your eyes softened for a moment."

At Gon's words, the butler gasped and stumbled away from him. She lowered her staff, her grip loose as her eyes watered.

I smiled sadly at her. It was over. She had given up.

"Please…" She croaked, tears falling from her pleading eyes. "Help Killua-sama-"

Suddenly, out of nowhere, something struck the side of the butler's head and she collapsed to the ground. We all gasped inn shock, though, whether she was dead or just unconscious, we didn't know.

"What was that servant babbling about?" A woman in a Victorian style dress and bandaged face scoffed, the fan in her hand smoking. "She made it sound like we were being mean to Killua."

We all ignored her, opting to rush to the girl's side. I was glad to see that she was still breathing although the side of her head was bleeding badly. Leorio checked her pulse just to be sure and confirmed that she was, indeed, just unconscious.

"A worthless apprentice had the nerve to insult us!" The woman growled and I clenched my teeth, narrowing my eyes at her. Though, it was only then that I noticed the silent child that stood at her side. I couldn't distinguish whether it was a boy or a girl.

I had nothing against the kid but I immediately disliked the woman with the odd device over her eyes.

The woman stepped forward, suddenly smiled as if she hadn't just shot down one of her servants. "You must be Gon." She addressed the beaten up boy with a sickly sweet tone that grated on my nerves. "I heard about you from Illumi."

I briefly wondered who Illumi was, racking my mind for the name. I came to the conclusion that Illumi was Gittarackur, and that Gittarackur had been a fake name. I shivered at the thought of the wide eyed creep talking about us to this woman.

The woman suddenly smiled wider as she rested her fan against her chin.

"Killua knows you're here."

Gon and I perked up at her words.

"I have a message for you from Kil; 'Thank you for coming. I really appreciate it. But I can't see you right now, sorry.'"

I grit my teeth, not believing they were Killua's words at all.

"Bullshit, Lady!" I yelled, startling the woman. "You're lying!"

***Meanwhile – Zoldyck Manor***

Milluki glared at the unconscious Killua, whom still hung limply from the chains. "Wake up!" He snapped and whipped Killua harshly, effectively waking up the white haired boy.

Killua rose his head tiredly before spotting his brother and waking up completely.

"Oh." Killua muttered. "Morning, bro. What time is it?"

Milluki didn't bother to answer his brother's question, only whipping him again.

"Don't get to arrogant, Kil!" He snapped angrily.

Killua just blinked his eyes at his older brother innocently. "What?" He whined. "I feel really bad about stabbing you, bro. Sorry. It was the wrong thing to do, bro."

Throughout Killua's apology, Milluki silently fumed until he'd had enough and whipped his younger brother yet again.

"You're lying!" Milluki hissed as he whipped him more for for good measure.

Killua frowned and spat some blood from his mouth before turning to his brother with a mischievous grin. "Oh, you can tell?"

Milluki growled at Killua before he was interrupted by the ring of his phone. He tsked as he flipped open his phone and put it to his ear.

"Hello?" He muttered into the receiver, only to brighten when he heard his mother on the other end of the line. "Oh, Mama? Uh-huh." Milluki's eyes widened as he continued to listen to his mother. "Yep, I understand."

Milluki turned to Killua with a smirk, his phone still clutched in his hand. "Kil," He hummed. "Your friends are near the butlers' office. The noisy, foul girl even yelled at Mama."

The older Zoldyck child chuckled as he closed his phone and tucked it back into his pocket.

"How about it, Kil? If I ask Mama, she can become-"

Milluki's taunting was cut off when Killua snapped one of the chains on his wrists, smiling darkly at his brother.

"Milluki." Killua said in an eerily calm tone. "If you so much as touch her, or any of them, I'll kill you."

***To Kuragi***

The woman scoffed down at me, flicking her fan open and fanning herself and completely disregarding my accusation.

"Forgive me for not introducing myself." She muttered bitterly. "I am Killua's mother. This is Kalluto."

The child next to the woman still had yet to say a word.

"Why can't Killua come see us?" Gon asked as he stood up from the unconscious Butler's side.

"Because he's in Solitary Confinement." Killua's mother replied shorty, smiling.

My eyes widened.

'_Solitary Confi- What the hell type of mother is she!?"_

"Solitary Confinement?" Leorio questioned and I was thankful he asked.

"Kil stabbed me and his brother before he ran away from home." Killua's mother explained, recounting the same thing Killua had told us himself.

"That is the story he told us." Kurapika confirmed.

"Kil returned because he regrated his actions." Killua's mother continued on, the pupil of the odd device over her eyes dilating. "And he voluntarily entered Solitary Confinement. So we do not know when he will leave-"

Suddenly, the pupil of the device dilated rapidly and she gasped.

"What? Father! What are you doing!?" Killua's mother shrieked in distress. "Don't do anything hasty! He's finally returned!"

Killua's mother took a sharp breath before she grumbled. "Oh, why must father be this way?" She whined to herself.

I was, and I sure the others were as well, thoroughly confused from her outburst. I took a wild guess and concluded that her father had done something with Killua. What? I didn't know.

Killua's mother sighed and looked at us, straightening up. "Something has come up." She addressed us calmly. "So I bid you farewell."

She spun on her heel and picked up the hem of her dress and prepared to dash away, only to be stopped by Gon.

"Please wait!" The spiky haired boy called out, making Killua's mother pause in her steps and turn to him.

"We'll be staying in town for a while." Gon informed her. "Please let Killua know."

"Very well. I shall tell him. Goodbye." Killua's mother sighed before turning and dashing away successfully this time. However, Kalluto stayed behind and looked at us.

"Who are you?" Kalluto asked, and I could tell from the tone of voice it was a boy. One that had the misfortune of being born with a feminine face and dressed up in a kimono.

"We're Killua's friends." Gon and I answered immediately before grinning at each other.

"Friends…" Kalluto muttered quietly and I frowned.

'_Was every poor child in this family neglected?'_

"Kalluto-chan! What are you doing!? Come over here!" The boy's mother called to him.

"Yes, mother." Kalluto called back before he ran off after her. Even his run was feminine.

We all watched him go in silence, until we could no longer see him.

"I probably shouldn't say this…" Leorio spoke up, breaking the tense silence between us. "But these people creep me out…And I bet they were lying about Killua saying that he can't us."

I turned with a sigh. "I agree with you there, Leorio."

Leorio nodded at me before he turned to Gon and spoke. "Gon, we can't go back yet. How about we tail them?"

"Sure, but if we do that…" Gon hummed and looked down at the unconscious girl that still lay on the ground between us. "She'll take the blame."

"Oh, right…" Leorio muttered.

Suddenly, the butler's eyes fluttered open and she looked around at us all.

"I will take you to the butler's office." She muttered as she sat up, holding her head in pain. "There's a phone that connects to the mansion. If Zeno-sama is the one who answers…"

She trailed off with a groan, her head probably throbbing awfully.

"Zeno-sama?" Gon asked curiously and the butler turned to him.

"Killua-sama's grandfather." She explained.

**HunterXxXxXHunter (Lazy author got lazy. Sorry)**

I smiled as the fairly large building finally appeared over the hill. The butler, Canary, had successfully led us to the Butler's office. However, my smile faded once I saw the group of butlers that stood inn waiting in front of the building, none of them looking happy.

I tensed for a fight but was pleasantly surprised when they all bowed.

"Welcome." The one in the middle muttered in greeting and I blanched. It was the guy that had been on the phone.

"Eh!" I yelled and stomped up to him, getting in his face as all the butlers straightened. "You! You're that snooty ass bastard on the phone! You still haven't apologised to Gon!"

He stared down at me blankly before pushing up his glasses and bowing again. "I apologize for my inhospitality, young lady."

My eyebrow ticked and I stomped my foot.

"Don't apologize to me! Apologize to Gon!" I huffed at him and he straightened up yet again, looking at the boys over my shoulder before bowing towards Gon.

"I apologize." The butler straightened out of his bow, hopefully for the last time, before he turned and gestured to the building behind him. "Now, won't you come in?"

One of the other butlers held the doors open for us while we all stepped through, before they led us to a very comfortable looking waiting room.

"Please take a seat." The butler with the glasses spoke and the boys took a seat on the fancy looking couch while I opted for leaning over the back, because there wasn't any room.

"Please forgive the rude reception." The butler with glasses spoke up once we were comfortable. "The lady of the house has asked us to treat you as official guests."

As he said that, one of the butlers came over and stood in front of Gon with a first aid kit in his hands.

"Please allow me to treat your wounds, Gon-san." He requested, bowing.

Gon smiled at the butler and gave him permission. Soon enough, he was completely bandaged and cleaned up. The butler bowed again before taking his place behind Leorio, which was next to me.

The butler in glasses pulled a separate chair over on the other side of the coffee table before taking a seat. Two butlers stood at his side while another came over and stood on my other side, with a bandaged up Canary standing next to him.

"This is not the primary residence?" Kurapika asked, referring to the butler's previous statement.

"No, this place is for the butlers." Canary answered.

"Well, please make yourselves at home." The glasses butler spoke with a smile.

"We appreciate the hospitality, but we've come to see Killua." Leorio explained. "Can you take us to him at once?"

"That won't be necessary. Killua-sama is on his way here."

We all perked up at this information and I grinned as Gon lept up in excitement.

"Really?" He exclaimed, just as excited as I felt.

"Yes," The butler answered. "So please wait a little longer."

Gon sat down at his request but continued to grin.

"That's great news!" Leorio spoke up with a grin of his own, turning to Gon.

"Now then…" The bespectacled butler said, pushing up his glasses, the smile on his face suddenly gone. "To simply sit and wait would be dull. How about a game, to pass the time?"

My happy mood vanished and I narrowed my eyes at the butler, not like the tone in his voice. Growing up in the slums had taught me to be cautious of 'games'.

"A game?" Kurapika questioned.

"What sort of game?" I added in, leaning forward on the couch.

The butler smiled and held up a gold coin before flicking it into the air and catching it, though he had moved both his hands in front of the coin.

"Which hand holds the coin?" He asked, holding up both his hands, which were closed into fists.

I relaxed and smiled. I knew this game, the kids in the slum played it all the time. Thankful, though, it didn't seem the butler was playing it the way they did because I could clearly tell which hand the coin was in.

"The left hand." I answered along with the three boys.

The butler opened his left hand and revealed the coin.

"Correct. However, I'll move more quickly this time." The butler warned before flicking the coin into the air again and, just like he said, moved his hands faster than before to catch it. "Well, which hand?"

"Left again." Gon and I answered at the same time and I gave the boy props for keeping up.

The butler opened his hand and revealed the coin again, the other butlers applauding.

"Marvellous. Then, I shall try harder this time."

He flicked the coin into the air as normal but as it fell down in front of him he moved his hands in a flurry. It was so fast I could barely distinguish which hand was which. However, I knew a trick. Instead of looking for the coin itself I watched for the light that bounced off the metal. It was much easier to keep track of.

The butler caught the coin and looked at us, his smile completely gone. "Well? Which hand?"

Leorio grumbled. "I'm not positive, but I'd guess the right-"

"You see…" The butler spoke, not revealing the coin. "I have known Killua-sama his entire life. I dare say I care for him as if he were my own." The atmosphere around him suddenly shifted as he clenched his hands tightly and looked at us darkly. "In all honesty, I must despise you for trying to take him away."

We all tensed at his words, realizing there might have been more behind this little game than simply passing the time.

"Well?" He stressed. "Which hand? Answer."

"Left hand…" Kurapika answered for us. I'd known the answer but I was too tense to speak.

The butler opened his left hand and revealed a mangled coin. I began to sweat as I realized how easily this guy could crush us just like that coin if he wanted to. He pushed his glasses up again and spoke.

"His lady mother could barely speak…She must be heartbroken, having to watch him leave." He lifted his head and stared us down. "I cannot forgive it."

He reached into his pocket and pulled out another coin, holding it up before he continued.

"Before Killua-sama arrives, a decision will be reached. I shall test you in my own way. You do not have a choice."

In the blink of an eye, everything shifted.

The other butlers all drew knives. The one on my right grabbed Canary and pulled her away, placing a knife to her throat, while the other to my left grabbed me and held his to mine. I shuddered at the feeling of cool, thin metal against my skin and I was reminded of applicant #111 from the Fourth Phase of the Hunter Exam.

"Kuragi! Canary!" Gon exclaimed once he realized what had happened and I glared at the butler with glasses.

"This is Canary's punishment for having brought you here, against her orders." His gaze shifted to me. "While your friend, on the other hand, has been disqualified from the game for cheating. She is no longer qualified to answer."

I narrowed my eyes and growled. "Yeah right, you're only taking me out becau-" I froze when the butler holding me captive pressed his knife into my neck as a silent warning.

'_They were only taking me out of the game because they knew I was familiar with it and had sharp enough eyes to follow the coin…'_

"Now, I shall explain the rules." The butler with glasses caught our attention again. "If one of you answers incorrectly, that person is out of the game. Should you be disqualified, I shall tell Killua-sama that you left and that he will never see you again."

I took a deep breath in, wanting to give him hell so bad, but I didn't want to risk a knife to the throat.

"Killua is-" Gon tried to ask but was cut off by the butler.

"Silence! Your lives hang by a thread. Now, answer my question." He flicked the coin into the air but, this time, another butler joined in the fray. I watched the glint of the coin and only just lost track of it as it was caught.

"Which hand?" The butler demanded, his hands steaming.

'_Right hand.'_

The three boys shared a silent look and I could tell none of them knew where the coin was.

"Don't take too long." The butler warned. "You have three seconds to answer."

He looked to the two butlers holding Canary and I. "Hey…After three seconds have passed, slit their throats."

I tensed as the knife was dug into my throat more, breaking the skin but not enough to make me bleed.

'_Well shit...'_

"Wait! Left hand!" Leorio blurted out without thinking and I frowned, hoping the others weren't stupid enough to follow his example.

"I pick the right hand!" Gon answered and I relaxed, still mindful of the knife under my throat, though.

"Me, too!" Kurapika agreed with Gon.

'_Smart boys.'_

The butler opened his right hand to reveal the coin, frowning. "One disqualified."

He didn't even pause for a moment before tossing the coin into the air again. Though, even though a butler didn't help him this time, it was still just as hard to see. Even the glint of the coin was getting harder to track.

His hands steamed again once he caught it. "Which hand?"

'_Left….I think.'_

Kurapika and Gon shared a look before nodding and turning back to the butler with determined expressions.

"I choose the right hand." Kurapika answered.

"I pick left." Gon followed right after and I understood their plan.

The butler opened his left hand and I sighed.

"It was my left hand." He corrected Kurapika. "Only one remains now."

The butler and Gon shared a silent stare down before the butler flipped the coin.

"Wait a second!" Gon called and the butler caught his coin.

"What is it?" The butler questioned, annoyed. "If you're trying to buy time, I'll kill the girl."

Gon completely ignored his question and turned to Leorio. "Lend me your knife."

Everyone tensed.

"Don't worry. I won't use it for anything stupid." Gon assured and Leorio sighed, handing him the knife.

Gon ripped the gauze off of his swollen eye and sliced his eyelid lightly, making me wince. I got what he was doing but it didn't make it any less surprising.

'_He's doing it to reduce the swelling…'_

Gon used some of the tape from the gauze to patch up his eye before huffing. "Okay! Now I can see. Give me your best!"

The butler tsked before flipping the coin and moving his hands faster, even bouncing it around for good measure.

"Which hand?"

'_Left!'_

"Left hand." Gon answered, getting it right.

"Not bad. In that case…" The butler stood and the other two that flanked him stepped forward. He flipped the coin and it became chaos.

With three sets of hands going at a furious pace it was completely impossible to see. I barely kept track of the gleam of the coin as it bounced from place to place until….it suddenly vanished.

The butlers all closed their hands in perfect sync, not leaving any clues for us to follow. Except, for the fact I felt the butler holding me shift his hand slightly.

He had the coin but I didn't think Gon knew that.

"Who now holds the coin?" The butler demanded.

There was tense few moments before Gon pointed his thumb over his shoulder, towards the butler that held me captive.

"The person right behind me." He answered and I sighed in relief.

'_Gon, you will never understand how much I love you right now…'_

The butler holding me lifted the hand that wasn't holding the knife to my throat and revealed the coin. The butler with the glasses smiled before applauding, followed by the others. The butlers holding Canary and I backed off, putting away their knives.

"Brilliant." The glasses butler praised.

I sighed and slumped over the coach, rubbing my tender throat and sincerely hoping I never had the misfortune of having another knife held to my throat.

The door to the waiting room suddenly opened and a turned curiously only to choke on nothing when a battered Killua casually strolled in, an annoyed look on his face as he stared down the butler with glasses.

"Gotoh, are Gon and Kuragi here yet?" Killua asked, only to pause when he spotted us.

"Killua!" Gon and I exclaimed, grinning like idiots. The spiky haired boy lept up from his seat as Killua approached with a grin.

"Oh! You two are here! Along with…" Killua turned to Kurapika. "Kurapika?"

Kurapika sighed, his face falling. "I'm just an afterthought?"

Killua brushed him off and turned to Leorio. "And Riolio!"

I snickered when Killua completely butchered his name.

"Leorio!" The fuming teen corrected loudly but Killua ignored him.

"It's been a while!" Killua addressed up all with a grin. "I can't believe you came. What happened, Gon? Your face is a wreck!"

"Yours isn't any better!" Gon shot back and the two laughed.

I smiled at the two boys and relaxed against the couch. It felt nice to have everyone back together. Suddenly, Killua turned to me with a grin and got in my face.

"And what about you?" He asked. "You've gotten fatter! What have you been eating?"

I bristled and stood up straight, glaring at him. Not even five minutes back and he was already picking on my again.

"Excuse me!? I am not fat!" I huffed in his face. I wasn't fat, chubby maybe, but not fat. I had been eating better since I left the slums and I guessed I'd finally filled out a little.

Killua remained quiet, his eyes going wide as he stared at me. "Whoa…" He hummed and I raised an eyebrow, confused.

"What?"

"You've gotten tall~" Killua grinned as he said this and flicked my forehead. "Stupid outfit by the way."

I blinked then scowled at him and rubbed my forehead, backing away. "Ow! What the hell has that got to do with anything!?" And that's when I remembered something. "Oh, yeah! Well, my birthday was a little while ago so maybe I had a growth spurt?"

"WHAT!?" Leorio suddenly yelled, leaning over the back of the couch to glare at me. "You had your birthday!? When!?"

I hummed and thought for a moment, doing the maths. "A few days ago…Before we opened the Testing Gate."

Gon pouted at me. "Why didn't you tell us?"

"I didn't think it was important." I shrugged. "I've never really celebrated my birthday anyway so…It would have been awkward."

It was true; every time my birthday rolled around we were too poor to throw a party or buy gifts, but I never really cared to begin with. Palm and Akallu would wish me a Happy Birthday and that would be it as far as celebrating went. Do anything to extravagant would have just been strange and unnecessary.

"You should have told us either way. I feel bad for not, at least, wishing you a Happy Birthday." Kurapika added in to the discussion with a frown.

I was beginning to get flustered and starting to think I should have just told them about my birthday in the first place.

"It's alright, really!" I assured him.

"Hey, Gotoh." Killua suddenly butted in, taking the attention off of me as he addressing the butler with glasses. "I told you to let me know as soon as they arrived. What were you doing?"

I fumed at his words, realizing he had made it here before us and that he had been here **the whole time.**

The glasses butler, Gotoh, bowed to Killua. "Forgive me. I had them participate in a little game"

"A game?" Killua questioned with a suspicious look, turning to Gon.

I caught Gotoh sending me a look, one that told me to keep my mouth shut, and I frowned but didn't speak up.

"It was nothing more than a poor joke." Gotoh excused with a smile as he straightened up. "I apologize for any aggravation. Did you enjoy yourselves?"

I pouted at Gotoh, not buying any of it.

"That was really good acting…" Leorio muttered, being the simple minded person he was and buying everything.

"What?" Killua questioned Gon. "Did they try something?"

"Nope, they were entertaining us." Gon answered with a smile.

"Really? Well whatever. Anyway, let's go somewhere else. **Anywhere **else, right now." Killua scrunched up his nose and made a disgruntled face. "If we stay here, my mother will give us an earful!"

I glowered at the thought of meeting that obnoxious woman again and agreed with Killua; we should leave.

Gon and the others agreed and began to get their things together while Killua ordered Gotoh around.

"Listen up." Killua instructed with a scowl. "I don't care what Mother says; don't follow me."

Gotoh bowed. "Understood. Please take care."

Killua turned to Gon and I. "Gon, Kuragi, Let's go." He turned and walked off, past Canary and the other butlers.

Kurapika, Leorio and I followed but I paused, curious, when I noticed Gon lingering behind.

"Gotoh-san." Gon spoke up. "Once Killua leaves, you'll be lonely, huh?"

"No. We butlers feel no emotional attachment to out employers." Gotoh replied blankly.

"You're lying." Gon frowned and poked his tongue out at Gotoh, while I walked over to the two, speaking up.

"Yeah, I mean, if you feel no emotional attachment to Killua then what was all that bull about 'I care for him as if he were my own', huh?" I accused, staring up at him with my hands on my hips.

Gotoh sighed and straightened up. "Gon-kun, Kuragi-chan…" He held up another gold coin before flicking it into the air and catching it, moving both hands like he had done the first time. He obviously caught it in his left hand.

He held up both his fists, though, they were held up higher than they had been before and I blinked in realization. He was cheating and playing it the way the kids in the slums did.

"Well? Which hand?"

"Isn't it your left hand?" Gon asked, confused at how obvious Gotoh had made the catch.

I crossed my arms and smirked. "Right hand."

Gotoh opened his hands and revealed the coin to be in his right hand and Gon gapped at me.

"What? No way! How did you guess!?" Gon exclaimed.

"Indeed. It was deception." Gotoh said before I had a chance to answer Gon. "In this world, there are many things that are wrong. Please be careful."

Gotoh bowed to use. "I am entrusting Killua-sama to you."

Gon nodded and I smiled before we turned and took off, after our friends.

"See ya, Canary!" Gon and I bid to the girl as we passed.

Once we left the room we saw Kurapika, Leorio and Killua waiting for us. Killua sent us a glare and huffed.

"Took you two long enough!"

"Sorry about that." Gon apologized as we walked to the exit.

"Yeah, we're sorry, so don't get your panties in a twist." I added in with a grin, throwing my arm over Killua's shoulder and getting up in his face. "Or did you really miss us so much that you can't stand to be away from us for even a second?"

Killua turned pink before ducking out from under my arm and running through the doors and out into the forest.

"Yeah right! Who would miss your ugly mug, huh!?" He called over his shoulder, sticking his tongue back at me tauntingly.

I bristled and chased after him with a growl. "Bastard! Come back here and say that to my face!"

"No way! It'll make me go blind!"

**HunterXxXxXHunter**

We were walking back through the town towards the train station. I had given up on getting Killua back for his remark and just settled for grumbling in silence. Meanwhile, Gon had told Killua about the game and the trick Gotoh had used on him and I as he flipped his own coin.

"Oh yeah, he's used that trick on me before. Once you know the secret, it's so simple, it'll make you mad." Killua replied with a grin.

"Huh? Really?" Gon asked in surprise, only for his coin to be snatched out of the air by Kurapika.

We all stopped and watched as Kurapika held up the coin. "I'm assuming this is what he did." He demonstrated Gotoh's trick and held up his hands. "Which hand?"

"It's your left hand, right?" Gon asked, falling for the trick again.

Kurapika opened his right hand and revealed the coin, making Gon whine.

"How? How did you do that?"

Kurapika smiled as opened his left hand and revealed another coin.

"Gotoh held two coins." He explained.

"But he only had the one." Gon stated, even more confused.

Kurapika began demonstrating the trick again, explaining as he went. "He hid one coin in his right hand, while flipping the other. And then he let us see him grab the coin using his left hand, but before he asked us which hand held the coin, he raised both arms. He slipped the first coin into his sleeve. That left the coin in his right hand."

I nodded and gave Kurapika props for picking it up so quickly. "You nailed it."

"Yep, you got it." Killua agreed.

Gon suddenly grumbled. "That really makes me mad."

"Well, I'm fairly certain he only used the trick on the final turn." Killua explained to the fuming boy. "Gotoh hates cheating, even if it's just a game."

"That's even worse!" Gon growled before his eyes widened and he turned to me. "Wait! How did you know, Kuragi!?"

I shrugged.

"Easy, really. I already knew the game and the trick before we came here. The kids in the slums play it all the time for entertainment. However, they use the trick against people who pass through to earn an extra Jenny or two. Even I've used the trick." I explained and the boy deflated.

"So he only tricked me…." He grumbled and I laughed.

Kurapika handed Gon's coin back before we all began to walk again, remembering we had a train to catch. But as we walked I looked down at my feet sullenly.

Gotoh was right when he had said the world was full of wrong and deception. Nothing could be trusted. Everyone that grew up in the slums lived by that knowledge.

Even me.

**Hue~ And thus Killua is back with the group and the Heavens Arena Arc is soon to begin.**

**Question: Would you guys prefer more updates but shorter chapters or less updates and longer chapters?**


	12. No X Going X Back!

**Yo, sorry this took me longer than usual, school has packed on another round of assignments. However, I've recently started the anime Parasyte (Up to episode 5 so no spoilers please) and I love it so much! Shinichi's character has already begun to show development and I just love Migi's personality. If you haven't seen it I suggest you check it out. But fuck that plot twist in episode 5 tho.**

**I also just recently watched the movie Neppu Kairiku Bushi Road and goddamn…I ship Ame and Suou so hard but then at the end I cried like a little bitch.**

**I have also learnt my Drama teacher is a sadistic sonovabitch…..We had to act out scenes that she gave us. A lot of us dug holes, some of us caught puppies….while the last person shoved those puppies down the holes we dug and buried them alive!...Fucked up.**

**.**

**RESPONSE TO **_**Arcana The Wolf**_**:**

**I actually did that on purpose, 'cause Kuragi is the type to say something like that. I'm glad someone noticed!**

**.**

**RESPONSE TO **_**Enemotou:**_

**It's okay, Ene-chan, Senpai understands! (That legit just happened to me so I understand very well….)**

**Yep, her 12****th**** birthday passed and she also had a growth spurt hehehe. The date would be the day before they opened the Testing Gate; March 1****st ****(if my knowledge of the HxH timeline is accurate). I'm thinking of celebrating it myself X3**

**Same, actually, doing short chapters for Stand Alone just doesn't feel right to me.**

**.**

**RESPONSE TO **_**D**_**:**

**Oh gosh, I don't want to make you cry! (Or maybe I do…I'm evil) But I'm glad you're enjoying my story so far. Thank you, I think you just blew up my ego though X3**

**.**

**RESPONSE TO **_**kyojinhunter-04**_**:**

**Well, sorry to say that the majority is in favour of long and infrequent. Btw, you wouldn't happen to be hunting me….would you? ; w ;**

**.**

**RESPONSE TO **_**Proxhunnterxotaku**_**:**

**Thank you!**

**.**

**Don't own Hunter X Hunter**

**.**

_/12/ _

"What! You're here on a tourist visa?" Killua yelled at Gon in disbelief.

"Uh-huh!" The spiky haired boy confirmed with a smile, not at all bothered by his tone.

Gon had just explained to Killua how he had signed up for a tourist visa in order to come to, and stay in, Dentora. Unlike Kurapika, Leorio and I, whom had used our Hunter Licences. Killua was surprised to say the least.

"Didn't you pass the Hunter Exam?" Killua questioned. "You could've used your Hunter License. It lets you stay in other countries for as long as you want!"

Leorio, Kurapika and I sighed.

"That's what we said." Leorio explained with a huff.

"But," I spoke up. "He was a stubborn idiot and didn't listen."

Gon looked at me with a pout and I just sent him a cheeky grin. He turned back to Killua, his pout gone and suddenly looking thoughtful.

"I already decided. I'm not using the license until I've finished what I need to do." Gon explained simply, suddenly catching our attention.

"What do you have to do?" Killua and I asked in sync and I narrowed my eyes at the albino and he sent me mocking smirk before turning back to Gon.

Gon hummed and reached into his pocket before pulling out one of the tags we wore during the Hunter Exam. "The tag that Hisoka gave me!"

"EH!?" I exclaimed and lept up, staring at the green clad boy. "When did he give you that!?"

"During the Fourth Phase." Gon explained. "I had just gotten my hands on his tag when I was hit by the person targeting me, and wasn't able to move. He took mine and Hisoka's tags before running off, only for Hisoka to kill him and give me back the tags."

"Wait, what?" I cut in, confused. "Why did he give you back the tags?"

Gon frowned down at his feet, thinking. "I don't know…Maybe because I impressed him with actually getting his tag? I'm not sure…"

I sighed and fell back into my seat next to Killua. "Well, whatever." I waved my hand at Gon dismissively. "Continue on, it doesn't matter."

Gon shrugged and stared at the number plate. "Well, I refused to take the tags back so easily, I didn't want them unless I had worked for them. It wasn't right...But, Hisoka refused to take the tag, he sent me flying with one punch."

I cringed, imagining how hard that hit could have been, I remembered how bruised and swollen one of his cheeks had looked when he made it to the boat.

Gon continued on, frowning. "He told me; _'I'll only take it back when you're able to punch me in the face, just like that. Until then, I shall leave the tag with you…'_"

Gon frowned deepened before looking up at us, determination burning in his eyes as he held up the tag. "I'll return it to Hisoka when I punch him in the face! Until I do that, I won't use my Hunter License! I can't go back home either!"

I frowned at Gon in worry. He was being a bit too harsh on himself, especially with thee rule that he couldn't go home. I, myself, was already getting homesick, missing Palm and Akallu's company. But I knew that I couldn't change Gon's mind because, like I'd said, he was a stubborn idiot.

From beside me Killua hummed. "So, where is Hisoka?"

My eyes widened in realization and I leaned towards Gon, giving him a wide eyed stare. "That's right, do you even know where he is?"

Gon's own eyes widened and he shrunk back, giving a nervous grin. "Uh….well…"

I sighed and leaned back again as everyone deflated, he obviously didn't have a clue. Gon was just like Akallu; head strong and determined but, unlike Akallu, Gon never thought anything through. "Idiot…"

"Thought so." Leorio huffed.

Beside me, I noticed Kurapika's demeanour change. He went rigid and his hands were clenching loosely in his lap. His eyes were closed and his brow frowned as if her were thinking about something, contemplating.

Suddenly, Kurapika spoke up quietly, in a tone that told us he wasn't a hundred percent sure he should be telling us this. "I know where he is, Gon."

We all turned to him in surprise, wondering how he knew.

"Huh, really?" Gon exclaimed, brightening up.

"How?" Leorio questioned, baffled.

I wondered the same thing. _'Was it when they were fighting and Hisoka whispered something into his ear or…no, if that was it why would Kurapika have reacted so strongly? It had to have been some time after…'_

I shook my head and frowned, deciding to stop thinking about it. It wasn't my business so I shouldn't butt in. I turned my attention back to Kurapika, whom was looking at us all out of the corner off his eye before he sighed.

"He told me." Kurapika answered Leorio's previous question.

"So that's what he said…" Leorio mused, obviously coming to the conclusion that had been what Hisoka had muttered in Kurapika's ear. I, myself, was still unsure.

"No, this was after the orientation." Kurapika corrected Leorio, confirming my suspicion.

"But it's still related, right?"

Kurapika's eyes were down cast as he answered. "I suppose so."

Curiosity was getting the batter of me and I was starting to get an itchy feeling that he was hiding something. I leaned forward, looking into Kurapika's eyes. "So, what did he say to you?"

"I've been meaning to ask as well…" Leorio added in with a frown.

Kurapika suddenly looked up, his face dark and his eyes gleaming. Whatever Hisoka had said to him it was definitely important.

"He told me…" Kurapika's eyes narrowed. "_'I have some information for you regarding the Spider.'_"

The name rung a familiar tone in my head and I frowned, thinking.

'_The Spider… why does that sound so familiar?'_

Suddenly it hit me and I froze, eyes going wide and my hands subconsciously tightening into fists. I stared at Kurapika in surprise, hoping and praying he didn't mean what I thought he meant.

'_Please…__**please **__don't mean what I think you mean. Not the Spider. Not the Genei Ryodan. Not-'_

"The Phantom Troupe." Leorio muttered, breaking into my thoughts and confirming my fears.

I went rigid and I stared down at my hands, clenching my jaw as I began to tremble with the effort to stay calm. I knew the Phantom Troupe all too well. The crazy band of 12 that lived by no rules; taking when they wanted, killing when they wanted… they were unstoppable.

When I had told Killua and Gon I lived in the slums I was only telling half the truth. Technically, where I lived didn't have a 'slum' per-say, because the whole city was a dump. Literally.

'_Meteor City.'_

That sorry excuse for a city and its population had been my home for 8 years of my life. And the birthplace and home to the Phantom Troupe, though, very few knew that and the few that did where the residents of Meteor City. Even though it was said the Troupe was rarely in the City, especially together. In the brief time, that felt like an eternity, that I lived there with Palm and Akallu I had learned that most of the residents revered the Phantom Troupe. Looked up to them. Though, there was the small minority that feared the Troupe. So much so that they didn't have the guts to come forward to the authorities and rat them out and, instead, put on a farce that they also revered the Phantom Troupe.

I **hated **them.

For the longest time; Palm, Akallu and I were neutral on the topic. Palm didn't want to hear any of it; the only thing on her mind being taking care of Akallu and I, while I straight out didn't give a damn, and Akallu was just blissfully ignorant. It wasn't until a certain…**event** that our views changed.

If I remembered correctly it was around 3 years ago.

_It was a peaceful afternoon; I was playing with a five year old Akallu in the living room, entertaining him while Palm worked on cleaning the house. Palm was humming quietly, her pink hair tied into a loose bun and a ragged old bandana around her forehead as she slowly passed us, sweeping the floor as she went. Small puffs of dust rose up into the air as she worked, one even got blown into Akallu's face. The little blond boy sneezed loudly, falling back onto the ground with a dazed look._

_I laughed loudly at my little brother, finding it extremely hilarious, snorting and holding my stomach._

_Palm rolled her eyes at me with a sigh before setting her broom down gently and kneeling down in front of Akallu, untying the bandana from around her forehead and using it to wipe the dust from his face, clearing the tears from his watery eyes as well. Palm smiled as she stood back up, tucking the handkerchief halfway into her pocket before resting her hands on her hips._

"_There. All better." She sighed before picking up her broom and continuing her housework. "Kuragi, be nice to your brother."_

_I ignored my sister, snorting as I rolled onto my side, laughing harder when I saw the adorable little glare Akallu sent at me, pouting as he crossed his arms. _

"'_Sh'not f-funny!" Akallu shot at me, seemingly trying to sound tough and angry but only managing to sound like a he was going to cry._

_My giggled slowly died down and I sat up, smiling at my moping little brother as I wiped away tears of mirth._

"_But it looked so cute and funny!" I shot back, still chuckling slightly._

_Akallu's scowl got deeper and he sniffled, more tears gathered in his eyes. I realized he was actually going to cry and my eyes widened, shooting a glance at Palm, whom was in the other room, in a panic._

_Akallu made a small whimpering noise as a tear fell down his cheek._

"_Ah!" I threw my hands up in a panic, digging them into my hair. "P-Pleased don't cry! I-! Uh…"_

_I looked around the place in a panic, trying to find something, __**anything**__, that would cheer up my close-to-blubbering little brother. To my relief I spotted the old and broken toy we had been playing with from before._

_I grabbed a ChocoRobo-Kun figurine that was missing an arm and a leg then a headless Barbie before waving them towards Akallu in a panic._

"_Come on, how about we play again!? Uh, p-please don't cry!" I stuttered out, panicking even more when Akallu whimpered louder and another tear rolled down his cheek. "Gah! NoNoNoNoNO! Don't cry! Don't cry!"_

_In my panic I dropped the toys, waving my hands around wildly as I looked around for something to cheer Akallu up with. Only to smack myself in the face when I wasn't looking._

"_Ah!" I fell back in surprise, my cheek stinging as I looked up at the ceiling in a daze. "Huh?"_

_I heard a quiet giggle and a small sniffle. My eyes widened as I quickly sat up, ignoring the throbbing pain in my cheek when I saw Akallu giggling at me behind his hand and looking amused._

"_Y-Your fa-fashe ish sho f-funny!" Akallu giggled loudly, clutching his stomach as he doubled over. "Shilly~! Shilly~! You hit yourshelf shilly~!"_

_I tried to look angry and insulted but a smile managed to worm its way onto my face and I couldn't help but snicker, rubbing my sore cheek lightly._

"_Come on~ It's not __**that **__funny~" I tried to whine but I was giggling too much._

_Akallu just laughed harder, so hard that he fell over and face planted the floor, but he didn't just kept on laughing. I bit my lip to try and keep quiet but I busted out laughing harder, falling onto my back in a star-fish position. _

"_What in the seven hells are you two up to, huh?" Palm said with a smile as she walked back into the room, broom no longer in her hands as she looked at the two of us sprawled out on the floor._

_I opened my mouth to answer but all the happiness was suddenly sucked out of the room when there was a loud knock on the door. Akallu and I sat back and looked at Palm silently, watching her as she frowned towards the front door._

_Palm sighed and looked down at us. "Right, you two head to your room, I'll get the door, okay?"_

_We nodded at Palm, standing obediently. Whenever there was an unexpected knock on the door Palm would sent us to our rooms before she answered it. We loved in the worst City in the world, where no one barely trusted or helped anyone, so there was always the chance it was someone looking to murder, rob or rape at the door._

_I grabbed Akallu's hand and pulled him along with me, scooping up the toys as I went. Before I walked into mine and Akallu's shared room, I turned and looked at Palm with a frown._

"_Be careful?" I said to her, but it came out more like a question than a command._

_Palm smiles at me and made a shooing motion with her hand. "I will, I will. Promise." The knock suddenly came again, louder and more forceful. "Okay, get to your room now."_

_As Palm scurried to answer the door I quickly turned back around and rushed into my room, pulling Akallu with me, before I closed the door behind us. I let go of Akallu's hand and sat the toys down on the floor, vaguely noticing that Palm hadn't swept in here and made a note to do it myself later._

_I sat down on the floor with a sigh and looked up at Akallu who was standing and looking at the door with a frown._

_I frowned and grabbed Akallu's hand, tugging on it lightly. "Come on, Aka, let's play."_

_Akallu turned to me, frown turning into a grin as he kneeled down on the floor and picked up the ChocoRobo-kun toy and loomed it over the headless Barbie. An evil smile stretched across Akallu's lips, revealing the gap in his front teeth, just before let he out a loud roar as he shook the ChocoRobo at the Barbie 'menacingly'. I giggled and picked up Barbie, making it 'stumble' back in 'terror'._

"_Eeeeek!" I squealed in a fake high pitch, the Barbie 'trembling' in 'fear'. "Oh, please! Please don't eat me Mr. ChocoRobo!" I couldn't hold back my chuckles at the end and neither could Akallu as he brought the ChocoRobo-kun closer._

"_Ne-ver!" Akallu said, making his voice deeper and pausing in between words, trying to imitate a robot. "You. Are. Mine. Hu-man! I. Eat. You!" Akallu thrust the ChocoRobo forward, 'lunging' at the Barbie as he giggled up a storm._

_I made the Barbie 'run' away in 'fear' with a yelp but Akallu's ChocoRobo just followed with a roar. _

"_Argh! No! Don't eat me!"_

"_But I already eat your head!" The 'ChocoRobo' snickered in reply._

_We continued to play like this for a moment before switching roles, but I had noticed Akallu was losing his enthusiasm for the game and his grin had slowly melted off his face._

_I paused when I noticed Akallu wasn't making the Barbie run anymore and was instead staring down at it in his lap with a frown._

"_Akallu?" I questioned, frowning and worried. "You okay? What's wrong?"_

_Akallu looked up at me slowly with a frown and a sniffle. "Kuragi…" My frowned deepened. He only used my name when he was really upset about something. "Will Palm-Nee be okay?"_

_I turned away from his sad puppy eyes and looked towards the door, we hadn't heard a thing since we had come in here and it was starting to scare me, no doubt it was scaring him as well._

"_Well…" I sighed, knowing I couldn't let him worry, he was too young to fear for his family. "She'll be fine, I promise."_

_Akallu opened his mouth to say something, his brow creasing, but he was cut off._

"_Akallu, Kuragi! Come here please!" Palm's voice echoed through the door, making us both pause in surprise. I could tell from the fake bright tonne in her voice that she had a 'client' and wanted us to behave when we came out. _

_I sighed and stood, grabbing Akallu's hand and pulling him up with me, being rougher than I had meant to. I grabbed the door knob but paused before opening it and turned to Akallu, completely serious._

"_Remember not to talk, stare, make eye contact or smile at anyone else who's out there. Don't move unless I'm pulling you with me and don't run around. Okay?" I said, listing off all the rules Palm had given us after the first time a 'client' had dropped by unexpectedly. _

_Akallu nodded and stared down at his feet, kicking the ground nervously as his grip on my hand tighten. "'Kay..."_

_I squeezed his hand reassuringly before I opened the door and walked out, followed closely behind by Akallu. As soon as we walked out I zeroed in on terrifyingly large and burly man that stood grinning at Palm, sitting leisurely on the couch. Palm stood opposite of him, hair now down and the bandana missing, smiling a sweet and sickly smile that stretched too far across her face. I quickly averted my eyes away from the large man when he turned to sneer at us._

_Palm smiled wider at me and crouched down to my level and waved me over. I let go of Akallu's hand before going to her, not wanting him to get any closer to the man on the couch. Palm searched around in her pocket for a moment before handing me a few Jenny and giving me a kiss on the forehead._

"_Please take your brother out for some food and have a little walk around the city. Be back in a couple of hours." Palm muttered to me quietly before she stood up and spoke louder. "Alright you two! I'll see you in a bit, love you!"_

_I looked at the money in my hand as I walked back to Akallu and grabbing his hand again before dragging him away from Palm and the man and out of the house. Outside, however, I spotted another man leaning against the opposite building, looking at us as we walked out. His hair was long and black and he was dressed in a ragged sweatshirt and pants and there was a sword slung casually over his shoulder as he stared at us indifferently._

_I eyed the sword with distain, a sinking feeling in my gut._

"_What?" The long haired man spoke up with a scowl aimed at us. "What are you looking at, kid?"_

_I eyed the sword for a moment longer before turning to stare evenly at the swordsman. "Is that your buddy in there?" I casually pointed my thumb over my shoulder._

_The swordsman rolled his eyes and his brow frowned. "Yeah. What's it to you?"_

_I ignored his question, replying with my own. "You're not planning on using that sword anytime soon, are you?"_

_The swordsman looked up at his sword before turning back to us with a smirk. "Don't worry…I don't plan on getting the blade dirty anytime soon, kid." I felt a brief moment of relief until his eyes flickered to the door behind me and he spoke again. "Can't say the same for Uvo', though."_

_I assumed this 'Uvo' was his pal inside and my stomach sunk back down like a stone. I let go of Akallu's hand and reached for the doorknob in a panic._

"_I wouldn't go in there." I froze when the swordsman spoke up with a frown. Suddenly, a muffled yelp came from inside and my stomach churned, making me feel ill. "Uvo' works fast, he isn't very patient."_

_I slowly pulled my hand away from the door, feeling a little numb feeling spreading through me when another yelp and a bang came from inside my __**home**__. I gently grabbed Akallu's hand and pulled him away from the house, walking past the swordsman and down the street. The hot dirt beneath my feet stung as I walked along, and the blaring sunlight from above beat down on my back as I walked, already making me feel sluggish and tired. I could feel the swordsman's stare drilling into my back but I ignored it, ignoring everything to do with what was behind me and focusing what was in front of me; the dusty and barren streets lined with beggars and decaying buildings, with clothes lines hung up above us._

_After a while of walking and manoeuvring through back alleys, we came to a more populated area. There were poorly built stalls lining the streets, selling all different sorts of products; foods, jewellery, clothes, scrap metal, weapons and so on. People in tattered clothes, covered faces or wearing cloaks shuffled down the road, occasionally stopping to buy something or discuss deals._

_I pushed my way through the crowd and to one of the food stalls, one selling candy. Though it was most likely stale, it was a rare sight to see in the City. There was an old lady running the stall and seemed to be of Azian decent. She sneered at me as I we got closer, eyeing us in distain, most likely she was thinking we were going to try and swipe something. To be truthful, I would have, if Akallu wasn't with me._

"_What do you want, brats?" The old lady sneered at us, her wrinkled face looking even uglier than it had before and her gravelly voice irritating my ears._

_I felt Akallu squeeze my hand In fear and squeezed his in reassurance as I rolled my eyes at the old lady and held up the Jenny Palm had given me, waving my hand back and forth to catch her attention. _

"_How much candy will this get us?" I asked, not being one bit polite to the old hag, even though one of the few things Palm had drilled into me had been; 'Respect your Elders.'_

_The old lady eagerly snatched the Jenny from my hand, counting it before she took one of the coins and held it up to the light and scrutinized it with a critical eye. After a moment she bit the coin and there was a soft 'clink'. Seemingly satisfied that the Jenny wasn't counterfeit she smiled down at us widely._

"_That'll get you 13 pieces, dear." The old woman chuckled 'sweetly' and my eyes narrowed._

_I leaned on my arm and over the counter, staring her in the eyes. "Nope, no good. I think you mean __**16 **__pieces of candy, Lady."_

_Palm had given us 16 Jenny and I doubted the candy was even worth half a Jenny each, let alone for more than 1 Jenny. The old hag was trying to swindle us._

_The old lady sneered again and hissed. "No, I think __**you're**__ wrong, brat! It's 16 Jenny for 13 pieces. If you don't like my deal go somewhere else!"_

_I frowned and narrowed my eyes at her and drummed my fingers on the stall in annoyance. "I say you give us 16 pieces for 16 Jenny, take it or leave it."_

"_No way! You're not going to swindle me you little sewer rat! __**13; take it or leave it!**__" The old lady glowered back, clenching her hands around our Jenny._

_I lunged at the old woman and pried her hand open before snatching my Jenny and hopping back over the stall, standing next to Akallu as I tossed thee Jenny in the air and casually caught it again. _

"_Then we'll leave it. You've lost our business. Too bad, I have a major sweet tooth so I might have come back again." I turned around and smirked, pretending that I was about to walk off. The bait had been cast and I just had to wait for the fish to bite._

"_Waitwaitwait!" The old lady squawked desperately, reaching over the stall and clinging to my shirt desperately. "Alright! Deal! __**Deal!**__"_

'_Hook, line and sinker. Perfect.'_

_I turned and smirked at her and held out my hand. "Deal. Hand over the candy and __**then**__ you get the money." _

_The old lady quickly counted out 16 pieces of candy before putting them into a brown paper bag and handing it to me. My eyes lit up once the bag was in my hand and I handed over her fair share of the money._

"_Here, Aka. Lets eat!" I grinned as I grabbed Akallu's hand, handing him the bag to hold as I dragged him away. Only to be stopped by the old hag's squawking voice._

"_Hey! You only gave me 13 Jenny!" She yelled, glaring at us._

_I smiled as I looked over my shoulder at her. "Oh, yeah. Well, I thought we deserved compensation…" _

_I flipped one of the 1 Jenny coins into the air before catching it. _

"_You tried to swindle us." _

_Another coin._

"_You waisted our time."_

_I flipped up the last coin and my smile turned into a smirk._

"_And your voice just plain annoyed me. It's like blunt nails on a chalkboard. I think I might go def."_

_With that, I turned to the road ahead of me and continued walking, pulling Aka along, whom already had a lollipop in his mouth. The old lady watched us leave with a gapping mouth and a twitching eyebrow but she made no move to come after us._

_We found a secluded spot in an alley before we devoured the candies, making sure to save a few for Palm. She would sure deserve them when we got back. After we ate the candies, and even though we still wanted more, we decided to take a short walk around the City for a little bit._

_Through the walk I'd occasionally stop and swindle someone out of a Jenny using the coin trick so, by the time we were heading home, we had a good 25 Jenny extra. I gave 5 Jenny to Akallu, because he was saving for his big dream to travel around the world, while I was going to give the other 20 Jenny to Palm. I didn't have anything I needed and the only thing I wanted was more candy, but I doubted that the old hag would sell to me again, so I didn't need the money._

_When we finally arrived home, sweating from the heat of the day, I was relieved to see that the swordsman was no longer there. I just hoped that meant that the 'Uvo' guy wasn't there either._

_I pulled Akallu along with me as I walked up to the door and I knocked three times slowly, the sign to let Palm know that it was us. There were a few moments of silence and I felt worry seep into the pits of my stomach when Palm didn't answer. I hesitantly reached for the doorknob and turned it slowly, letting the door creak open. An empty house and eerie silence greeted me when the door swung open._

"_Palm?" I called out, my voice shaking, hoping to get a reply. There was none._

"_O-Onee-san?" Akallu walked up beside me, looking a little scared. He turned to me with a frown. "Kuragi…Where's Onee-san?"_

_I frowned and ruffled his hair. "Don't worry, I'll find her. Just…stay here…" With that, I left Akallu at the doorstep as I went further into the house. The lounge room was empty, but the coffee table was overturned and it made the panic in me spike._

_I looked in mine and Akallu's room just in case but it was as untouched as it was when we left. Next was Palm's little room at the back of the house. The door was ajar slightly and I hesitated to open it, all sorts of scenarios running through my head at the thought of what I could find behind the door._

_I took a deep breath and pushed it open, ready to charge in and face what was beyond it, only to freeze when it swung open completely. Palm was sprawled out on her bed, her naked body completely uncovered and left for the world to see. Sickly purple and yellow bruises were already forming on her skin and I spotted the beginnings of a black eye on her face. _

_I felt like I had been punched in the face and gut simultaneously, all the air left me and I felt dizzy. I stumbled back in shock and hit the wall, staring at Palm's body in surprise._

_Palm's body…_

'_IS SHE DEAD!?'_

_That horrifying thought sobered me up and I shot off the wall, almost tripping over my own feet as I rushed to Palm's side. Up close the bruises were more brutal. Much more brutal. And most, if not all, were shaped like hands and fingers._

_They wrapped around her wrists and upper arms like morbid bracelets and there was ones on her hips and around her neck, them being the more prominent of the bruises._

_I swallowed thickly as I felt bile rising up my throat and gently took hold of Palm's shoulders, shaking her._

"_Palm…" I managed to just barely croak out. I cleared my throat and tried again. "Palm. Palm, open your eyes! Come on! Please, don't be dead!"_

_With every word I shook her more desperately, fear consuming me as the thought that she was dead was becoming more likely. Thankfully, all my fears were dashed away when she groaned and cracked open her good eye and looked at me._

"_Kuragi..." Her voice was raspy. Her eye widened and she weakly tried to cover herself. "Kuragi…no…don't look…"_

I grit my teeth in a sad attempt to quell the rage seeping through me like venom. I clenched and unclenched my hands in the fabric of my skirt, trying to stay visibly calm but I cracked and my brow frowned.

Once Palm had gotten dressed and had a cup of tea she had been well enough to explain to us what happened, not in detail of course. Her 'client', 'Uvo', had been very…rough. Though, she said she was terrified of him, but not just for that reason. During their 'session' she had seen the trademark Phantom Troupe tattoo on his lower back and it had frightened her that a Spider had been in our home. So close to her. So close to **us**. Even after what had happened to her our safety was still number one on her mind.

I suddenly felt a hand on my shoulder and all the rage in me melted away, being replaced by a sort of numb calm. I looked at the hand on my shoulder and followed it up and arm to a frowning Kurapika. I blinked up at him and suddenly had the feeling he knew what I had been thinking about, or that it was about the Spiders at least.

"Are you alright, Kuragi? You looked a little scared." Kurapika asked, squeezing my shoulder in comfort.

'_Scared? I looked scared? Maybe I could work with that…'_

I put on my best oh-silly-me face and laughed weakly and waved my hands dismissively.

"Oh, haha, sorry about that. It's just when you mentioned the Spider I thought of spiders and….uh….I'm really terrified of spiders! It just freaked my out a little, that's all!" I excused, looking around at the other three, whom were also staring at me.

"Oh, alright, try not to think about it then." Leorio was the first to buy it.

"Okay. Be sure to keep away from spiders, Kuragi, if they scare you so much!" Gon chirped happily, also buying it.

"Whatever, Scaredy Cat…" Killua muttered, rolling his eyes.

I bristled and narrowed my eyes at him. _'Why I ought to punch you in the face, Albino Boy!'_

"Are you sure, Kuragi?" Kurapika spoke up, still looking unsure.

I nodded. "Yeah, that's all. I'm perfectly fine."

I panicked inwardly that he wasn't going to buy it for a moment but then he sighed and turned away, taking his hand off of my shoulder.

"Alright then…" Kurapika then looked up, addressing everyone again. "As I was saying; I do not recall mentioning the Phantom Troupe to Hisoka. So either he overheard our conversation during the first stage, or he heard it from someone else. The spider is the Phantom Troupe's symbol, so those familiar with the organization refer to the Troupe as such." Kurapika's eyes narrowed again. "I was interested in his information.

Leorio sighed. "I see…"

"After the orientation, however, I asked him about it." Kurapika continued. "'I shall await you in Yorkshin City, on September 1st' that was his reply."

"September 1st?" Leorio muttered, seeming curious about the date. I wondered if there was anything important happening on that date.

"You've still got over half a year." Gon pointed out. "What's going to happen in Yorkshin City?"

Suddenly Leorio's head shot up, his eyes going wide in realization at he snapped his fingers. "Oh! They'll hold the world's largest auction!"

My eyes widened and I rubbed my chin subconsciously as I began to think. _'World's largest auction….An Auction means lots of valuable stuff….and a connection to the Troupe.' _I took in a sharp breath when I came up with an idea. _'The Phantom Troupe will raid the auction! But…How would Hisoka know that? No, I'm probably thinking too much into this…' _I sighed and decided to abandon my train of thought, opting to listen to the others instead.

"Correct." Kurapika confirmed Leorio's previous statement. "From September 1st through September 10th, there will be an auction for unusual items, rare goods, and national treasures from around the world. The event attracts all manner of nasty folk who come looking to satisfy their greed. It's the biggest gathering of money in the world."

"So the Troupe will be there?" Leorio questioned, seeming to have thought of the same insinuation I had.

"They're a group of bandits." Kurapika stated. "They would not let this chance escape."

I was surprised that the two had come up with the same conclusion as I had, and that they confirmed it. Though the thought of knowing where the Troupe would be and when was giving me a slightly uneasy feeling.

"So on that day, Hisoka will be somewhere in Yorkshin City…" Kurapika explained evenly.

"Okay. September 1st." Gon confirmed and smirked. "Got it! Thanks!"

**HunterXxXxXHunter**

"Then I shall depart now." Kurapika said to us with a smile.

We had finally arrived at our destination and left the train. We now all stood together outside the station in a small lot.

"Huh?" Gon and I were very surprised. What he had said had come out of nowhere.

"We managed to see Killua again, so I'm finished here." Kurapika explained. "I'll need money to participate in the auction. SO I shall search for a patron to employ me as a Hunter."

"Really…" Leorio hummed with a smile. "I guess I should go home then."

"You too?" Gon whined, expressing his surprise and distress. The same thing I was feeling.

I stared up at Leorio in surprise as well. I felt a sudden need to beg them both to stay but I didn't act on it. Their sudden announcements saddened me. Kurapika reminded me a lot of Palm and having him in the group always gave me sense that Palm was always there and that gave me comfort, while Leorio was like the older brother I always wanted; one that would pull me up for doing something wrong, get into fights with and comfort me. As well as protecting the family. I had enjoyed Kurapika's company and the small fights Leorio and I had but with the sudden revelation that they were going to leave, I felt a little empty.

I swallowed down the feeling of emptiness and smirked up Leorio.

"Aw, that's too bad!" I mocked, trying to rile him ups for one more small fight. "I'm so going to miss that ugly mug of yours, old man. **Not!**"

"Why you…!" Leorio growled, his face turning red in rage as he waved a fist at me threateningly.

I laughed at his expression, surprising him to silence, and used the chance to bump my fist against his in a friendly manner. "Just kidding, old man."

Leorio smiled down at me and ruffled my hair before addressing everyone else with a content smile. "I haven't given up my dream of becoming a doctor." Leorio held up his Hunter License. "If I'm accepted into medical school, I can use this to pay the ridiculous fee. I'll have to go back and start cramming."

"Good luck!" Gon chirped, grinning up at Leorio.

"Until we meet again." Leorio sulluted.

Yes, that'll be…" Kurapika started and we all finished off.

"September 1st, in Yorkshin City!"

"Alright then, I'll think I'll head off." Leorio sighed, still smiling as he turned back towards the station, sending a wave over his shoulder. "See ya."

I couldn't stop myself from lunging forward and wrapping my arms around the tall teen's waist. "Take care of yourself! I'll be rooting for you!"

Leorio was stunned for a moment before he grinned and pat my head. "Thanks, I'll be rooting for you as well."

I released him with a smile, watching him disappear behind the doors before I turned to Kurapika with a frown.

"You're getting a hug too, you have no say." I said to the blond before I grinned and lunged at him, making him stumble back when I hugged him as well.

Kurapika chuckled lightly as he pat my head, letting me hug him before he put his hands on my shoulders and pulled away, nodding at me with a smile.

"Goodbye, Kuragi. I wish you well." Kurapika turned to Gon and Killua. "Goodbye you two."

"Uh-huh!" Gon chirped, grinning, while Killua sent Leorio a lazy wave.

I gave Kurapika his space as he waved before turning and, follow Leorio's lead, going back into the station.

"Bye-bye!" Gon called after him, waving enthusiastically. Once he stopped waving he turned to me, eyes wide with curiosity. "What about you, Kuragi?"

"Huh?" I didn't get what he was asking.

"Aren't you going to go home too?" Gon clarified for me.

I actually had to stop and contemplate the question before I answered. I was feeling a little homesick, but everything in me was very against going back to the shithole that was Meteor City, but then there was the fact of getting the money to them.

"I don't know…." I finally answered. "I don't want to go back to the slums but…I need to get the money to my family. Argh! This is so conflicting!" I whined and tugged at my hair in frustration.

"Why don't you just call them and work it out with your family?" Killua suggested, shoving his hands in his pockets.

I perked up, mentally kicking myself for not thinking about that.

"Good idea! Anyone know where I can get a phone?" I looked at the two boys, hopping one of them had a cell phone.

Sadly, they both shook their heads. But, thankfully, Killua pointed to the station.

"There's probably a payphone in there, we'll wait for you out here." Killua explained and I grinned.

"Thank you~!" I called as I hurried back into the crowded station, successfully finding a line of payphones along the wall.

I walked up the nearest one, thanking god that it had a slot for a Hunter Licence, and dialled the number I knew off by heart. Palm's phone.

After a few nerve-racking rings, she finally picked up.

"Hello~ what may I have the pleasure of doing for **you.**" A sugary and 'sultry' voice answered the phone and I cringed.

"Palm, I'm not one of your 'clients.'" I huffed into the receiver, disgust evident in my voice. "Please drop the act."

There was a moment of silence before a small chuckle came through the other end.

"Sorry…" Palm muttered, sounding apologetic. "Anyway! I'm glad you finally called! How did the Exam go? Did you make it? Did you pass? Oh dear lord, are you hurt!?" I didn't even have time to answer one question before she fired off another.

"Palm, calm down. I'm fine, I made it out alive..." My eyes flickered down to my right arm, feeling it tingle from the memory of the electric shocks. "And slightly unscathed. Actually, that's why I was calling. I-"

"Oh Kura, it's okay, I'm sure you did all you could. Don't feel bad about not passing." Palm interrupted, jumping to conclusions like she always did.

I chuckled at her accusation. "No, I passed!" I corrected, feeling excitement bubbling in me when I finally vocalized my accomplishment to her.

There was a moment of silence before there was a high pitched squeal that made me quickly pull the phone away from my ear with a cringe. I put it back to my ear once I knew the squealing was over.

"R-Really!? You made it!?" Palm chuckled, sounding nervous, excited and relieved at the same time.

"Yeah!" I giggled, her excitement being contagious.

"Oh! Tell me everything! What happened? Did you meet anyone? When are you coming home?"

My excitement melted away slightly at the last question and I frowned.

"Actually…" I muttered, suddenly not up to being loud and bubbly. "That's why I called…I-uh-met some friends during the exam and…I want to keep traveling with them but…the money-"

"Don't worry." Palm cut me off, her voice suddenly gently. She was going all motherly. "Follow what your heart tells you, go with them if you want. I can handle a little more time without money, I've done it this long haven't I?"

I let out a slow breath as the meaning of what she was really saying hit me. She was willing to suffer just a little longer just to….make me happy.

"But the money-!"

"I think I can help you with that."

I turned at the familiar voice and spotted Killua standing a few feet away from me, his hands in their usual spots in his pockets and a lopsided smirk on his face. I covered the receiver with my hand so I could talk to Killua.

"Killua, what are you doing here?" I questioned, curious as to why he was here, especially without Gon.

Killua shrugged. "Gon and I were talking and we decided to head somewhere we could earn money as well as train; since we're both broke and Gon needs to get stronger to even get close to Hisoka's level. I came to get you. And I'll say it again. I can help you with the money problem."

I stared at him silently for a moment before sighing. "Alright, fine. I'd appreciate the help, but how are you gonna do it?"

"I'll send it to her via mail, I have a method that will guarantee it won't be stolen of misplaced." Killua explained.

I thought for a moment before I uncovered the receiver and placed the phone back to my ear.

"Hey Palm, I think I just found a way to send the money to you. So don't worry about doing your….job." I explained to my older sister.

There was a relieved sigh on the other line and a quiet chuckle. "Really? That's great. How am I going to know it's the money?"

I turned back to Killua. "How will she know it's the money?"

"Tell her to watch the skies." Killua replied, giving a mischievous.

'_Watch the skies? What the hell does he- you know what, I don't want to know. I'll trust him on this.'_

I put the phone back to my ear again. "A friend who's helping me said; 'Watch the skies.' I don't know how exactly it's going to get sent to you, just bare with it." I explained.

"Alright. Anyway, Kura, I shouldn't keep you long. Go hang out with your friends! Just call me whenever you can, okay? Love you." Palm made kissing noises through the phone and I smiled.

"I will, promise. Love you too. Bye."

"Bye."

With that, Palm hung up the phone. I stared at the payphone in my hand, grinning like an idiot and feeling as if a huge weight had been lifted off my shoulders before I hung up the phone and withdrew my Hunter License. I turned to Killua with a smile.

"Okay, it's all fine. I'll just withdraw the money and give it to you whenever I need it sent, okay?" I said as I bounced over to him.

We began to walk back through the station, side by side.

"Whatever." Killua threw his hands over his shoulders and rested them on the back of his head casually, his cheeks a little pink.

"Anyway, about what you mentioned before, you can count me in on that. What's the place anyway?" I questioned, wondering what type of place would help you train and let you earn money as well.

Killua looked at me with a smirk. "A little place called The Heavens Arena."

**Done~ So Question time:**

**How do you like that little flash back about Kuragi's life?**

**Is the fact she's met some of the Spiders a bit odd?**

**Is her living in Meteor City a bit odd?**

**Wanna take a guess on how Killua will send the money?**

**Until next time! See ya!**


	13. Heavens X Arena! (Lucky 13!)

**Sorry this took so long, I spent the holidays catching up with my family and then the first two weeks back was nothing but work. Fuck school.**

**.**

**RESPONSE TO Enemotou:**

**Yep. Really? I could see Uvo doing that without any qualms, guess that's just me though. I feel you, school's a bitch.**

**.**

**RESPONSE TO Lil' Ms Nameless:**

**THANK YOU! HERE IS MORE!**

**.**

**RESPONSE TO LifeOfTheLost:**

**Thank you, yeah, Kurapika kinda didn't buy it.**

**.**

**RESPONSE TO Angel:**

**Lol, early puberty? X3**

**.**

**RESPONSE TO katyluvsp:**

**I've got something a little evil planned for the arena.**

**.**

**RESPONSE TO Arcana The Wolf:**

**That's good, I didn't realize it was that long until I went back to read it. Nah, you got it right. **

**I've read that story as well but, no, Akallu isn't related to Alluka, the spelling is just coincidently similar. Though, originally, Akallu was going to be spelt Akalui….maybe I should have stuck with that to avoid confusion…**

**.**

**RESPONSE TO winddemon199:**

**Thanks, I'm looking forward to Yorkshin as well, got some things planned for that arc.**

**.**

**I don't own Hunter x Hunter**

**.**

_/13/ Heavens X Arena _

As it turns out, Heavens Arena was in a different city, so we ended up catching an airship to another one; curtesy of Killua. Even though the flight was only a few hours long I ended up dozing off on the way there, considering I hadn't slept yet. I wondered how the two boys weren't tired themselves.

I was woken up by a light nudge on my shoulder. I opened my eyes lazily and yawned, stretching and cracking my aching back and neck.

"Geezus…" I moaned, popping the rest of my joints. "Remind me never to fall asleep sitting up ever again, I feel like I've been hit by a truck!"

I turned to Killua, whom was mostly likely the one who had woken me up since he was in the seat next to me. "Anyway, are we there?"

Killua nodded and grinned. "Yeah, we're going to be landing soon." He pointed out the window. "You can see the arena from here. You can't miss it."

I looked out the window and tried to spy someplace that looked like an Arena only to go wide eyed when I spotted an oddly designed building that dwarfed all the others. That had to be it.

"Is that…? Whoa…" I breathed out in in awe of the huge structure, practically pressing my face against the glass.

"Whoa!" Gon chirped from his place across from me, spotting the building as well and grinning. "It's huge!"

"Yep. That's Heavens Arena alright." Killua confirmed, looking over my shoulder and out the window as well. "Two hundred and fifty-one stories. Nine hundred, ninety-one meters tall. The world's fourth tallest building."

"Holy shit…." I breathed, marvelling at the arena even more. No wonder Akallu's dream was to see the world when **this** is what the world had to offer.

"So this is where we'll be training…" Gon breathed, equally in awe.

It wasn't too long later that we landed.

While we waited for the other passengers to thin out so we didn't get shoved in the crowd Killua spoke up.

"I used up all my money on the trip fare. We'll have to make more here. After we disembark, we'll start from zero." He explained to us.

I shrugged, grinning and shuffling my feet. "Yeah, yeah, whatever! Let's go already!"

"What's got you all excited?" Killua asked, looking at me with a rather amused expression.

"I really want to check out this arena! It looks so awesome!" I suddenly chuckled at myself. "Wow, I sound a lot like my little brother."

Killua chuckled. "You are such an oddball…Whatever, let's go!"

As Killua turned and took off I noticed that the crowd had finally thinned out. Gon took off after Killua and I followed behind closely.

After some brief navigating through the streets we arrived at the entrance of Heaves Arena. We ended up lining up in a large line and waiting. However, Gon and I could care less about that, we were too busy craning our necks up to ogle the tower.

"Oi, Kuragi, Gon."

Gon and I turned our attention to Killua and noticed the line had moved forward and there was now a small gap between Killua and us.

"Sorry." I excused as Gon and I moved up. "But this place is freaking **huge!**"

"There's a really long line." Gon finally pointed out, staring up the cue at all the different people wanting to participate. "Is everyone going to Heavens Arena?"

"There aren't any conditions here," Killua explained. "Like there were for the Hunter Exam. You just have to defeat your opponent."

"Oh~" Gon hummed and I chuckled.

Killua looked up at the tower. "The higher you go, the more prize money you earn. This is as good as it gets for those looking to make a living with their fists."

Half an hour later it was finally our turn to register in the arena. We approached the front desk together and the female receptionist behind it smiled down at us politely.

"Welcome to Heavens Arena." She pushed three forms towards us, as well as pens. "Please fill out these forms."

We did as she asked, handing back the pens and forms when we were done. The form had asked the standard stuff; Name, age, gender, nationality and there was a small disclaimer down the bottom that needed signing that explained that all injuries obtained here were not the fault of the arena and they were not to be held accountable.

The receptionist took our forms and turned to the computer that sat to the side of her and began to type. "Please wait a moment, I just need to register you."

After a few moments of silence she turned back to us with a smile. "Alright. Killua Zoldyck-sama, you are #2045. Gon Freecss-sama you are #2055." Her smile widened as she looked at me. "And Kuragi Katallus-sama, you are #2065. They'll call your number on the first floor of the arena, so make sure you remember it."

We nodded and she gestured to her right, towards some double doors.

"Alright then, please go ahead."

Gon rushed off immediately and I laughed at his eagerness, following behind him closely along with Killua. As soon as we pushed open the doors we were flooded with loud cheers and howls of excitement, greeted by a long corridor.

Gon and I grinned at each other before rushing down it and staring in awe at the large arena. There were small stages spread around the space and a large stand surrounded it, filled with cheering participants. There were participants of all types fighting in the arena; big and small, bulky and thin, you name it.

Killua walked past us and down the stairs. "Come on, let's find some seats."

We followed him down a fair way before we finally took our seats, watching the matches.

"It's been a while." Killua sighed with a sort of nostalgic look as he took a seat in between Gon and I. "But this place hasn't changed."

'_Wait, what?'_

"HUH!?" I whipped my head around to stare at Killua.

"You've been here before?" Gon finished for me.

"Yep. When I was six." Killua explained with a grin, glancing at us both. "My dad left me here without a penny. He said I should reach floor 200 before coming home. It took me two years."

"What~? Oh man…" I whined and deflated, resting my chin in my palm as I stared back down at the arena. If it took Killua two years to blitz this place then how was I going to fair here? Sure, he had been six at the time but we were talking about the kid that could lift sixteen tons without breaking a sweat at the age of 12 here.

Killua suddenly spoke to Gon. "If you want to fight people of Hisoka's level, you'll need to go higher." He glanced at me. "That goes for you too Kuragi, if you want to get stronger you're gonna have to go higher. So let's hurry."

"Got it/Okay." Gon and I answered at the same time, nodding.

"_**#1973. #2055. Please enter ring E." **_

An announcement rung through the arena, making Gon stand from his seat quickly.

"#2055! That's me!" Gon stripped off his backpack and put it on the seat, his expression suddenly wavering as he whined. "I'm getting nervous now."

"Gon, you got through the Testing Gate, didn't you?" Killua spoke up, catching the nervous boy's attention. "In that case, all you have to do is push hard."

After that piece of advice Gon suddenly grinned and nodded, making his way down the stairs and into the assigned arena confidently.

When I saw Gon's opponent, #1973, a large and beefy man step into the ring I began to feel a little nervous for him.

"Hope he does good…" I muttered.

Killua leaned back in his seat with a grin, his hands behind his back. "He'll be fine~" He reassured.

"_**#2066. #1899. Please enter ring C."**_

I froze at the announcement, caught off guard. I felt nervousness sink down in my stomach. I was going to be, not only in front of a large crowd, but fighting in front of the crowd too.

I suddenly felt my side get nudged and turned to Killua.

"That's you Kuragi, go down." He stated.

I set him a glare as I stood. "I-I know that!" I looked down at my feet and took a deep breath to calm myself before stepping past Killua and into the main aisle. "Okay…My turn…"

I took a step before remembering something and turning back to Killua. "Got any advice? Let me guess; 'Push hard', right?"

"No, just stay light on your feet and you'll be fine." Killua replied.

I shrugged and continued back down to the arena. By the time I got to my assigned ring my opponent, #1899, was already there. He wasn't like Gon's opponent, large and bulky, he was more agile looking but with some muscle tone.

However, when I stepped into the ring I heard jeers and cat calls floating from the stands.

"It's a little girl!"

"Go home girl, this isn't a tea party!"

"Go back to your mommy!"

I fumed and glared around the arena at the jeering men before huffing and turning to my opponent who was grinning.

"They're right, girly." He sneered. "Go home, you wouldn't want to break a nail, would you?"

I clenched my fists, very much prepared to slug the son of a bitch right in the jaw, but I stopped when a man in the same pink uniform the receptionist had been wearing stepping into the ring. I assumed he was a referee, as well as all the others in the arena.

"On the first floor, we appraise each participant's level." The referee explained to us. "You are allowed three minutes to demonstrate your prowess. Begin!" He suddenly lept back out of the ring, getting out of the way.

I turned back to my opponent just on time to see a fist coming my way. I didn't have time to dodge so I raised my arms and blocked the blow, but I was sent sliding back a few feet. I lowered my arms slowly and glared at the guy.

It was on.

I ran around the ring, circling #1899 slightly before kicking off and aiming a punch at him. Before I could land the hit he swiped at me faster than I expected him to move and knocked me away. I didn't have time to recover completely before #1899 was charging at me with a fist raised.

I could have dodged it but I sure as hell didn't want to give away my speed so early in the arena.

"_Stay light on your feet."_

Oh, so that was it.

I crouched as #1899 approached and just as he swung I sprung up, leaping over him. I, however, was surprised when I jumped higher than I normally would have. I was so far up that #1899 wouldn't have been able to reach me even if he jumped.

As I came down I grinned at #1899's shocked face before twisting my body into a flip to gain momentum before slamming my foot into the side of his face and sending him flying out of the ring and into the wall.

The crowd suddenly went wild, cheering and whistling.

"You go girl!"

"You're a little ninja!"

"Yeah! Don't take shit from anyone!"

"He's got some crazy power!" I paused at that remark, confused before I noticed that, not too far away, Gon's match was over as well. He was staring at his hand and his opponent was embedded in the wall. Gon caught my eye and grinned and I grinned right back, giving him a thumbs up.

"#2066." I turned as the referee approached, holding a device and a ticket, which he handed to me. "Proceed to floor 50."

I looked down at the ticket adorned with number 50 and grinned. "Thanks."

I stuffed the ticket into my skirt pocket before heading back to my seat, passing Killua on the stairs as I went.

"Nice match." Killua complimented over his shoulder, continuing on his way down.

I paused and called after him. "Thanks. Kick your guy's ass for me!"

Killua chuckled and sent a back handed wave to me. "Yeah, yeah."

I took me seat before I was joined by Gon not too long after. We both watched Killua's match and marvelled when he quickly ended it with a single strike to the back of his opponent's neck.

Gon and I clapped and cheered for Killua along with everyone else in the stands. I saw Killua having a brief conversation with his referee, glancing at us with a smile briefly, before he was handed a ticket.

Suddenly, the cheering towards the east side of the arena got louder and I glanced over.

"No way! Another strong kid!?" I heard one of the participants in the crowd roar.

I got curious and quickly scanned the arena, spotting another kid around my age in ring F. He was dressed in a karate uniform and stood before his defeated opponent. He was handed a ticket by his ref. and did an odd gesture.

Well…It looked like we weren't the only tough kids here.

'_Hope I get to fight him, I want to see how strong I am compared to someone around the same level.'_

I glanced at Gon then at Killua, whom was making his way up the stairs, and briefly wondered if I would have to fight them some time. I hoped not. I wouldn't be able to bring myself to even try and attack one of them.

**HunterXxXxXHunter**

Once we were all back together we left the first floor and caught the elevator to floor 50, seeing as we had all been given the same floor. The karate kid from before had followed us as well.

Gon, being the curious kid he was, had asked Killua how the floors worked exactly and the brunette Elevator Attendant had overheard and begun to explain before Killua could.

"The first 200 floors of Heavens Arena are divided into class, each comprised of ten floors." She explained. "So after someone defeats an opponent in the 50s, they advance to the 60s. If they lose, then they'd drop back to the 40s."

"Oh~ So that's how it works." Gon hummed, grinning.

"Plus…" We all turned to the karate kid whom spoke up from behind us. "I've heard that after you pass the 100th floor, you get your own room!"

"Really? Sweet! That means we won't need hotel rooms!" I felt relieved at the new information. Recently I had become quite cautious of my spending, even more so than I had been before, so I was thrilled that I didn't have to pay for a room.

Gon and Killua kept silent and just sent the kid curious looks.

Karate kid must have noticed this and he smiled sheepishly. "Oh, I forgot to introduce myself." His stance changed and he did the same gesture he had done to the ref. "Osu! My name is Zushi! What about you guys?"

I paused for a moment.

'_Uh…What?'_

I held back a snicker at the kid's name, immediately thinking of the Japanese dish that I had tried once.

'_Heh, sushi…'_

"I'm Killua." Killua introduced and he elbowed me, sending me a look and obviously noticing my shaking shoulders.

I bite back my giggles and straightened up. "Oh, uh, I'm Kuragi. Nice to...ya know… meet you and all that."

"And I'm Gon! Nice to meet you!" Gon chimed in with a smile, being his usual bright self.

It was at that moment that the elevator stopped and the doors slid open with a 'ding'.

"We've arrived at the 50th floor." The Elevator Attendant announced with a smile.

We all filed out of the elevator together.

"I saw your fight earlier." Zushi said to Killua as we all continued through the crowd of participants. "That was really amazing, yo!"

Killua sent Zushi a confused look. "What are you talking about? You made it up here with one match, too."

"That's right!" Gon agreed.

"I missed most of it but I saw that you gave your opponent a good beating, so I'm impressed." I shrugged.

"No…" Zushi denied modestly. "I still have a long way to go. Oh! By the way, which martial arts discipline do you three practice? I study the Shingen-ryu fighting technique."

My face scrunched up in confusion. "Huh…? Oh~."

I got it now. He thought we were so strong because we studied Karate or something like that.

"School? We don't have one, right?" Killua questioned, turning to Gon and I.

Gon and I shook our heads in reply. "Nope."

"What!?" Zushi stopped walking in surprise. "You're that strong without any training!?" He bowed his head defeat. "I'm kind of shocked…" Suddenly, he perked back up again, a determined look burning in his eyes. "I still have so far to go!"

Well this kid was bipolar…

Suddenly, the sound of clapping filled the air.

"Zushi." A voice called from behind us and we turned, spotting a scruffy looking man with unkept hair and large glasses approaching us, part of his pink shirt wasn't tucked in either. "You did well."

"Master!" Zushi exclaimed, obviously surprised by the man's sudden appearance.

**This **was Zushi's master? He looked like he would be more at home behind a desk, teaching some snot nosed kids their ABCs. Though, I had learnt enough now to know not to judge a book by its cover.

'_Wonder if he's strong…' _I snorted at the mental image of the man being secretly buff under his shirt. _'Nah…'_

The man smiled down at Zushi. "You adhered my teachings."

Zushi did the same gesture as before and I realized it must have been some sign of respect in Shingen-ryu. "Osu! I am honoured!" Zushi's eyes flickered down to his master's untucked shirt. "Master, your shirt is untucked again."

His master chuckled nervously and quickly tucked in his shirt. "Oh, sorry about that…" His glanced over at us and smiled. "Who are they?"

"Oh, these are Killua-san, Gon-san and Kuragi-san." Zushi answered for us.

His master bowed briefly. "Nice to meet you. I'm Wing."

"Osu!" The boys responded, copying Zushi's gesture.

I sent the boys a look before smiling and doing the gesture as well. "Osu! Nice to meet ya!"

Wing chuckled. "I didn't expect to meet other children. Why are you here?"

"Well, we want to become stronger." Killua answered for us. "But we're also broke, so we're making money simultaneously."

"Also, Killua's a veteran here." Gon added in with a smile.

"I see. If you're up here, you must be fairly skilled." Wing praised. "However, you should pay strict attention to your opponent's body, as well as your own."

"Osu!" The boys and I did the gesture and Wing smiled.

**HunterXxXxXHunter **

Gon, Killua, Zushi and I all stood at the receptionist's desk, waiting to collect out prize money from our previous matches.

"Killua-sama, Gon-sama, Kuragi-sama and Zushi-sama?" The blue haired receptionist for the 50th floor clarified and we nodded. "Please hand me your tickets."

We all handed her our tickets and she handed us back a brown envelop each.

"Here is your prize money."

I carefully ripped open the envelop and poured out the small amount of coins. It wasn't as much as I had expected.

"One hundred and fifty-two Jenny?" Gon questioned, staring down at his own prize money.

Killua walked past us and to the vending machines that sat next to the receptionist desk before depositing his prize money and getting a canned drink.

"On the first floor, win or lose, your reward covers a canned drink." Killua explained as he picked up the can and popped it open, taking sip before continuing. "But beyond that, a loss gets you nothing. A win over an opponent in the 50s nets you fifty thousand."

"Fifty thousand…" Gon echoed, grinning.

"That's a lot!" Zushi exclaimed.

I whistled, thinking of how much money we might make by the end of this. "Sweet."

Killua sipped his drink again. "Though, in the 100s, I think wins are worth a million."

"WHAT!?" Zushi and Gon looked at each other in surprise, stunned. I kind of was as well; a million Jenny for just kicking some guy's ass? Done deal.

"Once you're past the 150th floor, you get ten million a pop." Killua continued, ignoring the overzealous boys.

Zushi gaped and almost fell over at the price. I grabbed him to help him keep his balance and laughed.

"T-TEN MILLION!?" Gon was gob smacked as well. "Didn't you make it to floor 200 when you were here before!?"

"Th-The 200th floor?" Zushi wheezed out, suddenly breathless and losing his balance again but I held him steady.

I couldn't stop laughing at the boys' ridiculous reactions. I didn't care about the money personally, it was just another stack of Jenny that I was going to send to my family who needed it more than me.

"How much do you get for winning on the 200th floor?" Gon questioned, practically bouncing in anticipation at the price.

Killua chugged the rest of his drink before answering. "Well…I don't know really, because I quit once I reached floor 200. But when I was winning in the 190s, I had around two hundred million, total."

Now that price was something that made me stumble a little bit. "Whoa…"

"Where's the money now?" Gon stuttered out.

Killua grinned and waved his hand dismissively. "That was four years ago. Of course it's gone now. I spent it all on snacks!"

I went bug eyed and drooled a little at the thought of all those snacks and how high class that would have been. "Oh~"

"Two hundred million on snacks, in four years?" Gon muttered, staring at Killua.

"Wh-what kind of snacks are these?" Zushi stuttered.

I ignored the boys, much like Killua was doing as he threw away his empty can, and walked up to said albino.

"Dude, you have to tell me where to get these snacks!" I demanded as I approached him. "They sound delicious."

Killua smirked at me and shrugged. "They're not really that special you know, I actually brought them here, and once I went home I just ordered shipments."

I deflated a little bit. "Oh…WAIT THAT MEANS I CAN GET THEM NOW! YES!" I went to race to the elevator so I could search for where they sold said snacks but Killua grabbed the back of my shirt and held me back.

"No." Killua deadpanned.

I whimpered and gave him my best puppy-eyes look, the ones that always worked on Palm. "Please~?"

Killua stared for a moment and his cheeks went pink. For a moment I worried I broke him but then he shook his head and glared, his cheeks still flaming. "No! We have to go to the waiting room for our next matches! They'll be assigning us matches again today!"

"Come one~!" I whined and struggled to get out of his grip. "Gon, back me up here!"

I turned to the green clad boy for help but he just looked away awkwardly and scratched the back of his head. "Uh….Killua's right Kuragi…"

I pouted and stopped struggling, crossing my arms and allowing Killua to drag me away as Gon and Zushi followed. "Betrayer…"

Once we got to the waiting room Killua released me. I was still pouting and sour about not getting any snacks so I stuck my tongue out at him before barging into the waiting room a head of the boys. As soon as I entered all eyes were on me.

The whole room was full of beefy guys that looked like complete assholes, I immediately disliked them all.

I gave them the finger as I found a seat and sat. "Take a picture, fuckers! It lasts longe-"

I was silenced as Gon and Killua sat on either side of me and slammed a hand each over my mouth. I simmered quietly but didn't make a move to remove their hands since I was sobering from my anger a little thanks to the death glares being sent my way from the other participants.

I had probably pushed my luck a little.

Gon laughed nervously. "P-Please forgive her, it's her….ere…..time of the month!"

All the men in the room immediately everted their eyes awkwardly and I stared at Gon in horror, my face lighting up like the sun and matching the colour of my hair.

Killua, bless his soul, smacked Gon in the back of the head and hissed. "Idiot! Don't just say something like that so casually!"

Gon rubbed the back of his head and pouted. "Why?"

I ripped their hand off of my mouth and growled at him under my breath at him. "Why? WHY!? Do you even know what…?" I blushed and tried to gulp down my awkwardness. "What 'That time.' Means!?"

Gon blinked his big puppy eyes at me innocently. "Isn't it when a girl is really angry and wants to be left alone once a month?"

I stared at him, my anger and embarrassment melting away as soon as I heard his purely innocent answer.

'_Jesus Christ, kid. You make it so hard for me to stay mad at you…'_

"No." Killua scoffed. "It's when, once a month, a girl bleeds from her-"

I snapped, my embarrassment coming back tenfold, and practically tacked Killua off of the bench in a panic to shut him up. "SH-H-H-H-SHUT UP!"

Killua must of realized what he was about to say and turned pink again. "Alright, alright. Just get off of me, woman!"

I only just realized how close my face was to his then and I blushed. "S-Sorry!" I tried to get off of him but we were inn such an awkward position that it was difficult.

After a while Killua got frustrated, his face having darkened to red slowly every time I fumbled to get off of him, and just shoved my off of him and took my previous seat next to Gon.

I sat on the floor, stunned for a bit, before realizing what I had just done. I stared at the back of Killua's head, my face burning even more, before I took a seat next to him awkwardly. I could feel embarrassment gnawing at me and I fidgeted.

'_Stupid! Stupid! Don't just tackle people like that! Argh! I was sitting on him for crying out loud! Sitting on him…'_

I blushed even harder at the thought and shook my head, needing a distraction.

"H-how do you even know about that!?" I hissed at the Killua, semi-curious as to how he knew anyway.

Killua looked away, his face scrunching up in discomfort as his cheeks darkened a shade and he shoved his hands into his pockets then squirmed in embarrassment. "I…I don't want to t-talk about it! Can we just shut up and wait for our matches!?"

It was then that I finally noticed Zushi standing awkwardly beside Gon, his face a very dark shade of red as steam whistled out of his ears like a kettle.

"Oh my god. Zushi, are you okay?" I asked the poor boy, who looked like he was going to pass out any second.

"O-Osu…" He replied weakly before falling back, unconscious.

Goddamn…

**Ah~ Nothing better than a little embarrassing female puberty talk with boys! XD**

**I just, REALLY wanted to add that in, sorry. Poor Zushi.**

**How are you liking the first chapter of the Heavens Arena/Nen Arc?**

**Is that something blossoming between Killua and Kuragi I spy? Huehuehue.**

**Liking Kuragi's new personality? She's more carefree and, well, like a child now. It's like a huge maturity burden has been lifted off her shoulders now that she knows her family can live a good life.**

**Also, about the new Summary, it's foreshadowing something evil. Want to take a guess at what? If you want a hint just ask, though they may be vague and misleading.**


	14. Present X Past

**RESPONSE TO **_**Guest:**_

**Sorry, my autocorrects fault, I try to go through and read it to fix them up but I do miss a few here and there.**

**.**

**RESPONSE TO **_**Amu Wants Noodles**_**:**

**I'm glad you like this, and here's an extra-long chapter for you! **

**.**

**RESPONSE TO **_**Haine:**_

**I try to keep the romance slow but it's either non-existent or fast….I…can't write middle ground when it comes to romance. Kuragi's Nen type is still in the works…..I have an idea but I have no Idea if it will work or not be Mary-sue…**

**.**

**RESPONSE TO **_**is a flying cookie 22:**_

**Oh thanks, I put work into Kuragi! Palm wasn't really a victim per say….it was her job to service him that way so he didn't kill her.**

**.**

**RESPONSE TO **_**TangoUnicornA:**_

**Aw thanks! You'll find out soon enough! I have very good plans ahead! It's inn Kuragi's nature to lie so it was more of an automatic response.**

**.**

**RESPONSE TO **_**Yinyang555:**_

**Thank you, I appreciate your support! Hope you enjoy this chapter!**

**.**

**RESPONSE TO **_**KagamineBanana**_**:**

**No one, that's who! Also, more fluff in this chapter that you didn't already know about awaits you! Huehuehuehue!**

**.**

**RESPONSE TO **_**helpmedragon**_**:**

**Thank you very much, Mr C.**

**.**

**RESPONSE TO **_**Winddemon199**_**:**

**Naïve Gon is really adorable, don't you think? Pft, yeah. Kuragi and Killua's relationship is going to get a little more awkward and hilarious, especially after what Gon says in the beginning of this chapter. Yeah, if Kuragi was canon that would just be amazing. **

**Sorry if I kept you waiting too long for this chapter.**

**.**

**RESPONSE TO **_**Ilovekitty's**_**: (Kitties are sho adorable :3)**

**Kuragi should learn to stop being so foul mouthed and rude. One of these days she's going to push her luck too far. But thank god Gon and Killua will be there to shut her up and get her the hell outta there. XD**

**Oh, Zushi was there, he was just excluded from the conversation because of how embarrassed he was. Poor kid fainted from it.**

**Here is the next update! Brought to you quicker this time!**

**.**

**RESPONSE TO **_**Arcana The Wolf**_**:**

**I know how it feels. I've never laughed so hard at my own writing before, almost choked on air. Yep, just an excuse though….oh god how awkward would it be if she started while on her journey with the boys? Geez…I'll just file that idea away for later XD**

**There is something, though I'm trying to make it develop slowly, can't be rushing into it now can I?**

**Okay, Here's your first hint; Nature. If you need more, just ask. Just don't get sour if you spoil it for yourself.**

**Wow, Good guess then.**

**Oh, I have a headcanon that the bird (I think it's a hawk) will be able to find them based off of Kuragi's scent. Since they're so closely related they should pretty much be the same.**

**Sorry to correct you but, ya know, Kuragi doesn't have parents. Just her siblings.**

**.**

**Don't Own Hunter X Hunter.**

**.**

_/14/ Present X Past_

Zushi, thankfully, wasn't out for too long. I couple of minutes at most, but once he was up he acted all awkward and refused to look me in the eye no matter how many times I insisted it wasn't my 'Time of the Month.'

I made a mental note to smack Killua later. Though, I was still a little flustered over the thought of tackling him.

"Well, these opponents should be a cinch." Speak of the devil. "Let's take it easy."

"Really?" Gon questioned, the incident from before having gone right over his head and still remaining innocent.

"Killua-san!" Zushi hissed in warning, nervously eyeing the one participant that sat next to me, seeing as I was next to Zushi. "You're too loud…."

"_**#2054, Killua-sama."**_

Killua hummed and smiled. "I'm already up." Just as he stood there was another announcement.

"_**And #1963, Zushi-sama. Please head to arena A, on the 57**__**th**__** floor."**_

"What!?" Zushi exclaimed in a panic.

I eyed the small boy and frowned, patting him on the back. "Good luck." I glanced at Killua and grinned. "Kick his ass, Kil'!" I encouraged jokingly, blushing when Killua smirked at me, my mind wandering back to me tackling him before.

"Kuragi!" Gon scolded. "Don't say something like that!"

I rolled my eyes, being snapped out of my thoughts. "Yes, oh mother dear." I muttered sarcastically. There was no way I was ever going to take a scolding by Gon seriously, he was too adorable and too much like my brother.

Zushi stood semi-confidently and bowed to Killua. "Osu! I shall give it my best!"

Killua waved dismissively. "Sure. Well, you can't win them all." I couldn't stop myself from snickering. "Better luck next time. I'll head out."

"Killua!" Gon attempted to scold the albino but he just walked away. Gon deflated. "Well….good luck, then…"

"I'll be waiting for you two above." Killua called back with a grin before disappearing through the door with Zushi.

For some reason, my faced burned and my heart fluttered at that. I let out a shuddered breath.

'_Wh-what the hell…? Why do I still feel so embarrassed over that?' _I shook my head, trying to relax._ 'Just calm down, he's probably over it by now…GAH! I'm am so stupid!'_

"Kuragi?"

I stopped mentally berating myself and turned to Gon, my face still flaming.

"Y-Yeah?"

"Do you like Killua?" Gon asked innocently.

I almost fell off the bench in surprise at the question. "What!?"

He didn't mean **like **like, right? Of course not, he couldn't be. He was a boy, and boys didn't care about this sort of thing, right?

"Do you like-"

"I know what you said!" I cut Gon off quickly before he could say it again. I took a deep breath to calm myself down before answering. "Yeah, I do. He's a… good friend?"

I didn't mean for it to come out like a question but, quite frankly, I wasn't sure what Killua was. Sure, I saw him as a friend but I didn't know what **I **was to **him.**

Gon stared at me for a long moment and I began to get uncomfortable. "What?"

Gon suddenly broke out into a wide grin. "No, not like that! I meant do you love him?"

I sputtered and I did the same thing I did to anyone who mentioned the word 'love' to me; I punched him. Thankfully, though, I was merciful enough to punch him in the arm and not the face.

"N-No! Shut up!" I was getting flustered, and this was reminding my way too much of the time Palm tried to give me 'The Talk' and explain about liking boys. "I don't, okay!? L-let's just stop talking about it!"

Gon laughed, unaffected by my punch. "Okay, okay!"

The topic dropped but my face was even hotter than before. I silently fumed at Gon for bringing it up.

We sat there in a semi-awkward silence for a while and I began to pray for a distraction, **any **sort of distraction but soon my thoughts began to wander.

'_Why would Gon ask that? Does it seem like I like Killua? No…Maybe he's just trying to play matchmaker…but, do I like Killua?' _I shook my head. _"No! Stop thinking like that! Geeze, where's a distraction when you need one?'_

"_**#2065, Kuragi-sama and #1807, Jilius-sama." **_Ah, and my prayers are answered. _**"Please head to arena A, on the 58**__**th**__** floor."**_

I sighed and stood, waving to Gon. "See ya up there."

"Good luck, Kuragi!" Gon chirped with a smile and I smiled back.

As I made it to the door I almost ran into a tall man in a cloak. I couldn't see their face very well, all I could see was a tight lipped frown, but I assumed this was Jilius.

He shoved past me roughly and stalked out the door. I glared at his back as I followed.

I was so going to kick his ass.

**HunterXxXxXHunter**

I stood across from Jilius, whom was still in his cloak, as the crowd cheered all around up in the brightly lit arena.

"We have an odd match-up for you tonight!" The female announcer called through her mic. "A young girl and a returning veteran fighting it out! But, don't underestimate the girl, she's shown some agile fighting prowess! She had a strong show of power in her first round! However, the veteran has a previous standing of making it to floor #180! And she has chosen to go to floor 50 instead of #100 directly!"

I swallowed thickly at that new information. If he had chosen to go to the 50th floor instead off the 100th, just how strong was he?

'_Wait! Did the announcer say 'she'!?'_

I stared at Jilius, her/his entire body was covered by the cloak so the only information I had was that he/she was tall and broad.

Suddenly, the screen above us lit up, showing a mug shot for me and Jilius; though, Jilius was still in his/her hood.

"We will now replay their matches on the big screen!" The announcer yelled before my mugshot took over the screen before fading in a video of me stepping into the ring on the first floor. Then it showed my match.

"It seems Kuragi underestimated her opponent at first and was sent flying! But she came back with a powerful flying kick that held up to its name!" I winced when I saw the replay of my opponent flying headfirst into the wall. Maybe I had gone a little overboard. "One kick was all it took to knock out her opponent!"

Next it showed Jilius' match. It started off with him/her picking up her opponent in a vice grip and squeezing. Even though the video had no audio from the match I could tell his/her opponent was screaming in agony.

"Meanwhile, Jilius used her brute strength to incapacitate her opponent in a vice grip!"

I watched as Jilius' opponent went limp before he/she just dropped her to the floor carelessly. A smirk was peeking out from under the hood. As the video faded out I sent a glare at Jilius from across the ring. Jilius was brutal and uncaring, and there was no way I was going to lose this match. Jilius sent a smirk back at me.

"Okay, everyone! Are you ready to press your gamble switches!?" The announcer spoke again as are mugshots appeared on the screen. "In that case, switch on!"

The sound of buttons being pressed echoed through the arena as everyone voted before numbers appeared on the screen.

**582 to 3,001**

"The bets are in, and the odds favour Jilius! Perhaps her brawn will give her edge over Kuragi's agility? "

I fumed, not liking that I was being doubted. But, honestly, I was beginning to doubt myself as well. Me against this brute? I might just stand a slim chance if I used my speed.

"Oh! What's this!?" The announcer was much louder now. "I was just informed that we have a Katallus in the arena!"

Cheers and chatter erupted from the stadium and I got confused. Why were they so hyped now after hearing my surname?

"If you haven't heard this story then hold on to your seats! 15 years ago there was a young man who completely blitzed through the arena! Leaping from the first floor to the 50th then all the way to the 200s!"

As the announcer spoke the screen changed to another video of a man fighting with a much larger, bald, one. The smaller was shirtless, showing off his chest and toned arms and was wearing casual shorts. He was dashing constantly around the ring, laughing as he dodged the giant's blows. He's long red hair was flying around in the air wildly as he made quick and sharp turns.

The camera hadn't been on an angle that showed his face yet but I had a sinking feeling that I knew him, that his face would be familiar as soon as I saw it. Just as I thought that, as if on cue, the camera angle switched and showed the grinning face of the man. His laugh lines were clearly shown as a smile stretched widely across his face in amusement, and crow's feet lined the corners of his shining green eyes.

I recognized him immediately, I had seen his face time and time again, sitting on my bedside table in a small wooden frame smiling at me every day. Even though the face was more worn and aged then it was on the video now; there wasn't a doubt in my mind that it was him.

"Dad…?"

**HunterXxXxXHunter**

I stepped out of the elevator with a sigh and kept my eyes downcast, thinking over the events previously.

'_Dad…'_

"Oh, Kuragi!"

I broke out of my thoughts and snapped my head up at the sound of Gon's voice. I found the boy sitting on a bench near the elevator with a grin on his face. He must have been waiting for Killua and I.

I waved and smiled half—heartedly as I approached him and took a seat. "Hey, Gon. How was your match?"

Gon beamed and dug through his pocket before holding up a prize money envelop. "I won sixty thousand!"

"Nice…" My smile slowly faded and my mind wandered back to my own match.

"Kuragi, what about your match?" Gon's own smile had faded and he was looking at me curiously.

I frowned, feeling a little bad for taking his little moment of excitement away. "It….didn't go that well but I did win, I got sixty thousand as well actually."

Gon frowned and looked concerned. "What happened?"

I sighed. "I don't want to talk about it, Gon. I'm still trying to make sense of it myself…"

"Okay…" Gon looked a little down trodden and I felt even worse for ruining his happy mood.

"Where's Killua?" I asked, trying to change the subject and maybe brighten him up a little bit.

It seemed to work because Gon smiled and shrugged. "I think he's match is still going."

That surprised me greatly. "Really? No offence to Zushi, but I didn't expect him to last that long."

"Yeah, I guess he was pretty good after all."

After that little chat we kind of dissolved into silent waiting, but the silence wasn't awkward, it was oddly comfortable.

Killua arrived almost half an hour later, stepping out of the elevator with a sour look.

"Killua!" Gon called, grinning widely as he hopped up from his seat and rushed over to the albino. "Over here!"

Killua turned and greeted Gon as I came up behind the green clad boy. For some reason my mind wandered back to what Gon had said in the waiting room and I flushed before quickly banishing the thought from my mind. I had more important things to think about and besides, I didn't like Killua like that…at least I was pretty sure I didn't.

"Look, I got sixty thousand!" Gon chirped as he held up his prize money, thankfully providing a distraction for me.

"Hey." I greeted Killua a little awkwardly as stepped up beside Gon. "Took you long enough to get here."

Killua frowned. "Yeah, I ran into a little trouble…" He turned and began to walk off. Gon and I followed after him.

"Then Zushi was pretty strong." Gon stated innocently.

I sighed and flicked the back of Gon's head, making him flinch and turn to me in confusion.

"Don't be blunt." I chided him, mocking him for what he had done in the waiting room.

Gon pouted at me before turning back to Killua as he spoke.

"No, not at all." Killua corrected, stuffing his hands into his pockets. "He has potential. One day, he'll be strong. But right now, he's just target practice for me."

"That's a little harsh don't you think?" I butted in, catching up to him and walking beside him through the small crowd.

Killua glanced at me from the corner of his eye briefly before turning to look back ahead with a sigh. "His punches were weak….I was able to completely knock him around." Killua stopped suddenly, making me walk a few paces ahead before realizing and stopping as well, turning back to him. His eyes had narrowed and darkened. "But I couldn't defeat him."

I frowned, surprised by this. Gon seemed to be as well.

"I received the TKO from points." Killua elaborated. "But I couldn't knock him out."

"Maybe…maybe you were just holding back too much?" I tried to comfort but Killua turned his gaze to me sharply.

"No…it wasn't that." Killua's brows frowned. "When he changed his stance, his aura reminded me of my brother's"

I stiffened at the thought of Killua's older brother and the intense feeling he'd given me. The feeling of something invisible, cold and sliming crawling across my skin just from being in the same room as him.

"_Useless, weak. Kil' doesn't need someone like you holding him back…"_

I shook my head, confused as to why that suddenly popped into my mind.

"I don't know what it was, but it felt dangerous." Killua continued again, his voice quieter than before. "It must be some kind of technique."

Killua turned with a frustrated look and addressed both Gon and I. "His master called it 'Ren'." Killua found a bench nearby and took a seat before continuing. "On my way down here I happened to come across them having a conversation about it. Zushi's master was berating him about using it, saying he wasn't ready, not until he reached the top floor."

"So he isn't supposed to use Ren until he reaches the top floor?" Gon confirmed. "The strongest fighters are at the top, right?"

Killua was silent, looking thoughtful, before he sighed and raised his head. "Gon, Kuragi, change in plans. I'm aiming to reach the top floor!"

"Uh-huh! I'll aim for it too!" Gon grinned at Killua.

I shrugged. It didn't make a difference to me. I was here to get stronger alongside them and since the top floor was full of the strongest, reaching it would just let me know how far I had come. "Sure, why not? Let's do it!"

**HunterXxXxXHunter**

It only took us a few days to reach the 100th floor, so far we were going well. It also turned out that the rumour Zushi had told us about getting private rooms was true.

"Yay! A private room!" Gon shouted as he ran into the room that had been assigned to him and leapt onto the bed. He flipped onto his back and grinned at Killua and I as we walked into his room. "We won't have to worry about money or lodging anymore!"

Killua took a seat next to Gon's bed while I sat on the bed next to Gon.

"I wouldn't be too sure about that." Killua sighed and rocked back on the chair. "If you drop below the 100s you have to check out of this room. A world of difference separates making it to the hundreds and staying in the hundreds."

Gon sat up, paying full attention to Killua now, and so was I.

"The 100th floor is like a ceiling." Killua continued.

"A ceiling?" Gon and I questioned in sync, curious.

"Once you pass it, you get special treatment. So everyone focuses on holding their spot. Some people will do anything it takes to stay in the 100s." Killua warned with a frown, standing from his chair. "You can waste a lot of time on them. Be careful, both of you."

"Yeah." Gon nodded with a frown.

"Definitely." I agreed as well before yawning. It was getting late. I stood and walked to the door, as I opened it I turned to wave at the boys who now had their attention on me. "Sorry guys, I'm tired. I'm going to head to bed. I'll see you in the morning." I turned to leave.

"Wait." I turned to see Killua making his way towards me and I raised a brow. "I'm going to bed to."

I shrugged and stepped out the door, followed by Killua.

I looked over Killua's shoulder and waved to Gon. "'Night, Gon!"

"Goodnight!" Gon called back to me with a smile.

"'Night." Killua said before closing the door behind him.

I began walking down the hall to where my own room was and was surprised to find Killua was following me, even though his room was in the opposite direction. I turned to him in confusion, my brow raised.

"Uh, isn't your room the other way?"

Killua shrugged and put his hands behind his head. "Yeah, but knowing you, you'd get lost on your way to your room. So I'm coming with you to make sure."

I bristled at him. "Come on, I'm not **that **hopeless."

Killua sent me a knowing look and I deflated. "That was once, I got lost on a floor **once **and you're still holding me to it!"

Killua grinned. "Kuragi, I found you in the men's bathroom, and it took me 2 hours to find you."

I sighed in defeat. "Whatever."

We lapsed into a small silence as we continued to my room and my mind began to wander. It just happened to wander back to what Gon said a few days ago and I suddenly felt embarrassed.

'_Why am I still thinking about this? I don't like Killua like that. Gon was just being stupid….' _I peeked at Killua from the corner of my eyes then quickly looked away when Killua turned to look at me. _'Right?'_

"Kuragi." Killua spoke up. "Gon told me about what happened a few days ago; what happened after your match on your 50th floor. What happened? He's worrying about it."

I was at a loss for words as I stared at Killua. Had I really worried Gon so much that he was still thinking about it? That he'd tell Killua about it? I sighed and turned to face ahead again, letting my eyes wander aimlessly around the hall. I noticed we were coming up on my room.

I stayed silent until we reached my door. I unlocked the door with the key card I had been given and lent against the doorframe as it swung open slowly.

"It's a bit of a long story." I explained, peaking at Killua over my shoulder. "Might as well come in and get comfortable."

With that I stepped into my own private room and made my way to the bed and sat. Killua closed the door before following me and taking a seat, much like he had done in Gon's room, beside my bed in front of me.

I leaned back on my hands for a moment, thinking. "Where to start…?" I hummed to myself before just deciding to start from the beginning. "Well, once I made it to the ring the usual introduction stuff started; replaying of our first matches and all that, but, once that was over, something odd happened…" I trailed off slightly, my face involuntarily falling.

"Odd?" Killua prompted. "What do you mean, 'odd'?"

"We were just about to begin our match when the announcer seemed to have found out my last name and this surprised her. At first I didn't know why, but then she started rambling on and on about this great fighter that completely bypassed the arenas without breaking a sweat; even showing a video of him. As soon as I saw his face I knew who he was….he…." I trailed off with a frown, finding it hard to say the word again. It felt awkward for me to say it.

I hadn't grown up with my dad around me. I didn't grow up needing to say 'dad' when I was talking to someone, calling for someone or thinking of someone. It felt unnatural, it felt wrong, and it felt foreign on my tongue. The only person even remotely close to a parent in my life was Palm.

"Who was he?" Killua asked, genuinely curious.

"My…dad." I finally said it.

Killua raised a brow. "Your dad? Did you know about this?"

I shook my head. "Obviously not. My dad passed away when I was four. I don't have many memories of him. I didn't know what he did for a living, what he's first name was or how old he was. And I definitely didn't know he was a legend in a fighting arena like this."

"So…" Killua hummed. "Is that it?"

His words stung me.

"What do you mean, 'is that it'?" I was slowly getting angry. "Killua, this is serious for me. Don't you get that?"

Killua frowned and leaned forward in his seat, staring at me intently. "Of course I do. It's just don't see how it's **that much **of a big deal. Why are you so concerned about it?"

I paused and blinked at him in surprise. Even though I hadn't said it or even given a hint that this revelation still bothered me, he had still picked up on it. I looked down to avoid his gaze, suddenly feeling self-conscious.

The reason it was still bothering me was because it made me realize just how little I knew about my parents. I didn't know who they were, where they came from, how they met, where we had lived or if we had any other family at all. Like grandparents or aunts and uncles. And realizing that also made me realize just how little I knew about myself.

I knew my name, my age and my physical appearance.

And that was it.

I was starting to wonder where I came from, what nationality I was, was I a mix or not?

Did I get my eyes from someone in the family or was it just me?

Did I have an aunt or an uncle?

Did I have cousins around my age that I could make friends with?

And if so, why weren't they helping us?

Why were they leaving us to rot in Meteor City?

Did they even know about us?

Did anyone know about us?

Miss us?

Did anyone even care?

Did my parents love me? Love us?

All these unanswered questions kept floating around in my head, bothering me to no end.

But I didn't want to say any of this to Killua. I was beginning to feel self-conscious. Wondering what he thought about all this. Maybe he just didn't care.

It was these little thoughts that stopped me from answering.

"Kuragi?"

I snapped my eyes back up to Killua. His brow was creased, his frown had deepened and he looked concerned. I must have gotten lost in my thoughts for longer than I thought.

I sighed, my eyes stinging and suddenly reminded me of just how tired I felt. I rubbed my eyes before yawning.

"Nevermind. Just go to bed, Killua. It's late and I'm too tired to talk about this anymore." I muttered and stood from my bed to show Killua out politely.

Killua stood as well, still frowning, and silently followed after me. I opened the door for him and stepped aside for him to leave. He turned back to me once he was out it the hall.

"Goodnight, Killua." I gave him a small smile before closing the door. However, I was stopped by Killua suddenly sticking his foot between the door and the doorframe.

"Wait." Killua spoke up firmly and I opened the door again, looking at him curiously. Killua fidgeted and avoided looking at me for a moment before he sighed and gave me an apologetic look. "Look, I'm sorry….about what I said. This is obviously bothering you. Just, talk to Gon about it or something." He sighed and shoved his hands in his pockets. "I'm not the best person to talk to about this kind of thing."

Killua was most likely referring to his own relationship to his parents, or family in general. But still, from what I knew about Killua's personality it was rare to get an apology from him and it made a smile break out on my face and my heart flutter when he said it, but I didn't know why.

"No, Kil' I should be the one apologizing." My smile melted away and I began to feel guilt gnaw at me. "I shouldn't have acted like that. I'm just tired and this is all throwing my mind around, I'm sorry."

Killua turned pink and huffed. "Wh-whatever! Just go to bed!" With that he slammed my own door in my face.

I stood in surprise, staring at the door silently for a moment before busting out laughing. Had Killua really been that embarrassed about apologizing?

My laughter slowly faded away but I was still grinning like an idiot as I switched off the light. My eyes adjusted to the dark quickly before I walked back over to my bed. I took off my over shirt and threw it over the back of the chair then flopped down on it my bed with a sigh. I slipped under the covers and snuggled into my pillow and closed my eyes.

"Maybe….I should call Palm and talk to her about this tomorrow…"

**HunterXxXxXHunter**

I woke up early that morning, just after the sun had risen, but I didn't feel tired at all. That was a side affect of sleeping in Meteor City. Not just because you could hear screams and crying at night, but the whole city itself felt unsettled and tense when it was dark. I had some faint memories of staying up whole nights just because I had an uneasy feeling and was unable to relax, I ended up falling asleep once it was light outside. But that was back when I was younger. As I grew up I learned to shove the feeling aside and block out the screams, forcing myself to sleep. I was thankful Akallu didn't seem to be going through the same thing.

I stretched and popped my joints before throwing my feet over the side of my bed and wiggled my toes into the carpet. I noticed a digital clock siting on the bedside table and checked the time.

**6:30**. It wasn't that late.

I shuddered when the cold morning air hit me and reached for my over shirt, only to pause when I spied something else on the chair along with it.

On the chair was a small box with a…ChocoRobo-kun design? Large letters on the box printed 'CHOCO TREATS'.

I picked up the box curiously and noticed it had been sitting on a folded piece of paper. I put the box down beside me on the bed and slipped on my over shirt before picking up the paper and unfolding it. It was a letter.

_Just except my apology, Kuragi. Don't be stupid._

_-Killua._

_P.S. I think you forgot about the snacks. Here, you'll like them. You own me 10 Jenny now._

I rolled my eyes at the end of the note but felt my heart warm all the same and I smiled before neatly refolding it and slipping it into my skirt pocket. He must have snuck in when I was sleeping, but I didn't mind, it's not like he did anything. I picked up the ChocoRobo-kun box again and found the tab to open it.

"Thanks, Kil'" I muttered before tearing open the tab and opening the box. It was full of chocolate balls.

I grinned and popped one in my mouth; they were a little melted but they tasted amazing. I stood, already in a good mood for the day, and tucked the box into my skirt pocket before walking to the door. I didn't feel like staying cooped up in my room for an unnameable amount of hours waiting for Gon and Killua to wake up, and I needed to call Palm, so I was going to take a walk; find a payphone and maybe explore the city a little.

I locked the door behind me and glanced around the hall. The lights were on, for the morning people and those who might have late matches I assumed, but it was completely deserted; not a single person in sight.

I felt unnerved at the silence that filled the hall. To me, silence meant trouble, that something was wrong. In Meteor City silence ment death, someone had died or was going to die and I was still accustomed to that, so I was suddenly on edge; jumpy and skittish. I sighed and reached into my pocket, opening the chocolate box, and plucked out a chocolate ball to eat with a shaking hand. I relaxed and sighed through my nose. This was another reason I liked sweets; not only were they delicious they also calmed my nerves. From the faint memories I could recall of my parents there was always the more prominent ones where Mom would calm me down by giving me candies or cakes. I guess that became an unconscious connection in my mind once I lost my parents because, no matter the situation, if I ate something sweet I would instantly calm and feel refreshed and clear headed; like I'd just had a good night's rest.

I smiled as I remembered my Mom. In my memories I couldn't see any distinct features but from a faded, creased and old photo Palm had intrusted me with I knew she had lovely long blond hair and striking blue eyes. She was a slim and petite woman with fair, unblemished skin. Sometimes it was hard to believe that a woman as gorgeous as her was my Mom, but then I looked at Palm and saw the same beauty and couldn't help but smile, because I knew for sure she was.

Then there was my Dad; in the photo he was dressed in a fancy, pressed suit and tie that hid his recently discovered muscles. And he was smiling brightly as he embraced my mom. His green eyes were shining with happy tears and his long red hair was neatly tied back in a ponytail.

The photo was their wedding picture, one they had taken and kept long before even Palm was born and all the way up until they passed; and even then, Palm held onto it long after that before I was old enough to understand how important it was then gave it to me and Akallu.

Akallu and Palm. The only family I had left now. But they were enough, no, much more than enough and I treasured them dearly. I held them so close to my heart that they were practically the reason I lived.

Palm. My strong willed yet gently and motherly older sister. Long blond hair that she kept tied up and dull green eyes; she'd gotten a mix of both Mom and Dad's looks. After our parents died Palm had taken it upon herself to raise a four year old me and barely month old Akallu when she was only 13 and barely able to look after herself. She'd worked three jobs at once just to keep food on the table and a roof over our heads while at the same time watching us and making sure to raise us right and keep us out of trouble. That had worked and been kept steady for a good three years until one of her bosses had discovered she was an underage teen illegally raising two young children on her own and without support and called Child Protective Services. Palm had been so deathly afraid of losing us and never seeing us again, the last of her family, that she had fled to Meteor City to get away from the authorities and there we had stayed. But life there had been harder than it already had been and all it took was a year for Palm to stoop to drastic measures to keep us alive. She had tried honest work at first but then that slowly wasn't an option and she had to turn to prostitution.

At first, I had been too young to understand what was going on but after a few years of being exposed to the harsh and corrupted outside world I knew very well what she was doing. Once I understood I argued with Palm and protested against it, begging her to stop, telling her there was another way. But she never listened. I was eternally thankful that I had caught wind of the Hunter Exam when I did, now Palm wouldn't have to worry about money and do degrading jobs anymore. She could relax and be happy. I even remembered a time when she was happy and carefree, laughing all the time and even calling Akallu and I cute little nicknames, I wanted that time back. I wanted that Palm, my sister, back.

Then there was Akallu. My sweet and innocent younger brother that was much too intuitive and smart for his own good. Blond hair that was little on the long side, blue eyes and very feminine features; he got all of his looks from Mom and, according to Palm, her brains too. Akallu got picked on by the other kids constantly because of how feminine he was and his affinity for books. However, despite his innocent, and naïve at times, outlook on the world and how young he was had a very bright mind. That was because, at a young age, Palm had taught him how to read and write and he immediately got attached to reading whatever book we could find for him. His particular favourites were text books that talked about geography and history, as well as the occasional mathematics or literature text books. He didn't favour fiction as much but he still read it. That's were his dream of traveling around the world and seeing amazing sights steamed from. As soon as he had told me about it I had promised to do everything I could to help him achieve that dream.

Then there was me. Dark red hair with the consistency of straw because I rarely washed it, never really caring about my appearance, mismatched eyes; one blue and one green. What had Akallu called it again? Hetero-Heterochro-something. And tanned, sun spotted skin because of all the time I spent outside. Palm said I was Dad, not just in looks, but in attitude and mentality as well. When Palm had offered to teach me how to read and write I had refused, finding it pointless. But then Akallu would get so excited after he read a new book of his that he would prattle on and on about it and I was so genuinely curious and interested that I finally gave in and asked Akallu to teach me how to read and write instead. However, after that I had run out of things to occupy myself with and began to roam around the city. Palm would worry about me then scold me when I got home but eventually she gave in and let me do as I pleased.

After that I made friends with a lot of the local kids in the City and they quickly taught me everything they knew about stealing, sneaking, haggling and cheating. I had quickly learnt that I was absolutely shit at sneaking and stealing when I had attempted to steal a loaf of bread. I hadn't gotten far when the owner of the bread tracked me down with his brothers and beat me to unconsciousness. They didn't even take the bread back, they just beat me and left. Palm had found me later that night and freaked out. I'd needed recuperation for an injured ankle that one of the men had stomped on but as soon as I was healed I was out on the streets again. This time, I got together with a group of kids and we worked on haggling and cheating. A pair of twins taught me the coin trick and thus my hobby was started. At first I started out small, haggling a few Jenny with the coin trick then I set my eyes on bigger targets. I begin to haggle and cheat my way into cheaper prices for things or more items for the price of one.

I had a lot of different methods to haggle; playing innocent, the child card, begging, crying. But the most effective was pretending to give them a better deal when in actuality I was just lowering the price then, when they refused, I threatened to not buy anything at all.

Suddenly, I realized I stood in front of the elevator. I had gotten so caught up in my reminiscing that my legs had automatically taken me through the halls and to the elevator without my awareness. I sighed and ate another chocolate ball before pressing the call button for the elevator.

"Hey."

I jumped and spun around quickly, instinctually swinging at whoever had snuck up behind me. I realized too late it was Killua. Thankfully, though, he caught my fist easily and sent me an amused smirk.

"Good morning to you too." He said sarcastically with a roll of his eyes as he released my fist. "Is this how you greet everyone in the morning?"

I chuckled. "Not everyone, just albino assassins." I teased. "Anyway, why are you up?"

Killua shrugged and stuffed his hands into his pockets. "I was going to ask you the same. I heard your footsteps so I came to say hi."

I raised an eyebrow at him. "So you've been up for a while?"

"Nah, I'm just a really light sleeper, you're the first person up." Killua explained.

I frowned. "Oh, sorry for waking you."

"Its fine, I would have gotten up on my own soon anyway. Anyway, what are you doing?" Killua looked at me curiously and I shrugged.

"Oh nothing much." I popped another chocolate ball in my mouth and I noticed Killua followed the action with a small smile so I offered him one.

Surprisingly, he shook his head. "You eat it, I brought them for you."

For some reason this made my heart flutter. I slowly pulled my hand away and stared at the chocolate for a moment before putting it back in the box.

"Hey." I spoke up after a short pause. "I'm heading out for a walk, want to come with before the matches start?"

Killua hummed, thinking for a moment. "Sure." Suddenly he sent me a mocking smirk. "You do know that matches on the 100th floor don't start until 8am, right? That's why you're the first one up, everyone's sleeping in."

I blanched. "Seriously? Damn…" I had a thought and chuckled. "I take it Gon won't be awake for a while, then?"

Killua grinned. "Yep!"

The elevator took that moment to arrive, the doors opening with a 'ping', catching our attention.

"Well, let's go." I said as I stepped into the elevator, followed by Killua closely.

I was surprised to find that there was the same bellhop as before still working the elevator this early. She smiled at us brightly. "Good morning! Which floor would you like to go to?"

"The lobby." Killua answered for us and the girl pressed the button.

There was a semi-awkward silence on the way down and I distracted myself by listening to the elevator music; which was awful. Once we reached the lobby I hurriedly got off. Even at this hour there was a large line of people waiting to register in the arena.

Killua and I pushed our way through the small crowd and out the doors with a sigh.

Killua glanced at me, looking bored already. "So, where to?"

I thought for a moment and realized that I didn't even know this City, I had no idea what was here and what wasn't. But Killua did.

"No idea." I shrugged and turned to him. "You've been here before though, so you got to know where **something **is, right?"

Killua blinked at me. "Maybe…Oh yeah!" Killua suddenly smirked and grabbed my hand before taking off running down the street, dragging me along with him. "I just remembered the best place! You'll love it!"

I tripped over my feet a few times before managing to keep pace with Killua as he dragged me around the place, his face beaming and excited. I laughed as we ran through the slightly crowded street, getting odd looks from passer-byes.

"Killua!" I laughed, still trying not to trip over my own feet as we rounded a corner. "Don't just drag me!"

"Knowing you, you'll get lost in the crowd!" Killua sent a smirk over his shoulder at me. "I'm taking precautions, I don't want to lose you."

I scrunched up my face and opened my mouth to retort but his words suddenly sunk in, making my heart suddenly skip a beat and my face burn.

"W-w-well….shut up! I would not!" I berated myself for stuttering and feeling so embarrassed, Gon's question was still bothering me and making me awkward around Killua even now.

"Oh~ What a clever come back!" Killua laughed at me, obviously mocking. "We're almost there anyway so stop whining."

I decided to keep my mouth shut and just grumble silently to myself, letting Killua drag me along. I had at least adjusted to his pace so I wasn't tripping over my own feet anymore.

We pushed through some more crowd before Killua dragged me through a side alley, once we were out of said alley Killua finally slowed down and released my hand but I found myself oddly missing the warmth of his hand in mine. I shook my head and tried to ignore the feeling of longing by intertwining my own hands, it helped but it wasn't the same.

I looked around our new surroundings when I realized it was quieter here. There wasn't a crowd, which would explain the lack of noise, in fact there were very few people. Killua seemed to have lead the way to a small back street lined with small stalls and shops, it reminded me of the market streets in Meteor City but more cleanly and less shady.

We passed by the majority of the shops; most seeming to be different types of restaurants, and stalls; which sold finger foods or the occasional odd one out selling jewellery or trinkets. The aroma of food was making my mouth water and tempting me to stop to get something to eat.

My stomach suddenly growled loudly, bringing me to a halt and making me reflexively fold my arms over it in embarrassment. All the food I had gorged on throughout the Hunter Exam and up to this point had spoilt me and gave me a larger appetite. My face heated up as I glanced at Killua nervously, wondering if he had heard it, which he obviously had much to my horror. He had stopped walked a few paces ahead of me and was sending me a knowing smirk over his shoulder.

"Hungry?" His tone was much too smug for my liking.

I huffed and looked away, not being able to stand his smug attitude.

"Maybe a little…" I admitted sheepishly.

"Well come on then." Killua said, his tone becoming less smug. I glanced up at him and saw that his smirk had melted into a smile, a gentle smile that was in no way mocking. "The place is just up ahead, you can eat as much as you want when we get there."

I perked up at this and my stomach growled again but I didn't even care, the thought of food over taking my mind. I quickly caught up to Killua and grabbed his arm, hurriedly dragging him along as I rushed off ahead. "Then what the hell are we waiting for, for me to sprout two heads? Let's get going!"

Killua didn't put up any resistance as I pulled him along, though I swear I heard him laughing at me faintly, though I dismissed that thought quickly, thinking of the delicious food that awaited me.

"There it is." Killua suddenly stopped, making me whiplash back and almost fall onto my ass cause of my grip on his arm.

I looked to where Killua was looking and I swear my eyes almost popped out of their sockets with how wide they got, my mouth watering to the point I almost drooled.

Almost at the very end of the street was a plain looking shop, just slightly bigger than the others, but what drew my attention the most was the large and colourful displays of different candies in the windows.

'Mr Bopper's Candy Shop' was written on a large old chalkboard that sat in front of the shop.

"Y-you brought me to a candy store?" I stuttered out, in awe of all the candy that sat there in front of me, calling me to it. I was practically tearing up with how perfect the place looked.

"Yep." Killua replied casually, popping the P, as he passed by me and continued on his way to the heavenly candy shop with his hands behind his head. "This was my favourite place to visit back when I first challenged the Heaven's Arena.

I stayed rooted to the ground for a few more moments, still in awe, before a large grin broke out over my face and I bolted for the shop, leaving Killua behind in a trail of dust. I quite literally threw the door to the store open and ran in; immediately my senses were overwhelmed with all the tantalizing colours and the sweet sugary smells. I was excited, yet so overwhelmed by it all that I had no idea where to start, what to get or what to try. I felt…well…like a kid in a candy store.

"Oh my god..." I moaned, staring around me at all the different candies to choose from.

There were gigantic rainbow lollipops, a whole aisle full off chocolates and chocolate bars, there was sour candy, sweet candy and bitter candy, and there was every different type of candy I could have ever dreamed of. I swear I had died and gone to heaven.

"Are you alright little lady? Would you like some help picking out some candy?"

I was broken out of my awestruck gazing by the voice of a sweet and gentle sounding old man. Standing just a little ways away from me behind a counter was a short old man in glasses with a sweet smile on his face. I assumed this was the store owner, Mr Bopper.

"Candy…" Was all I managed to get out, I was still much too overwhelmed.

Mr Bopper chuckled kind-heartedly at me only to stop and smile wider when the door opened behind me, I assumed Killua had arrived.

"Oh my, Killua-kun is that you? My have you grown." The old man smiled at Killua, who was confirmed to have just entered.

"Yeah, long time no see Gramps." Killua walked up beside me and gave me an amused look after answering Mr Bopper. "You're drooling, it's a nice look for you."

That one comment from Killua completely snapped me out of my candy haze and I glared at the albino as I quickly wiped my mouth with the back of my hand.

"No I'm not!" I hissed at him, my face flaming in embarrassment, because really I had been drooling just a little.

Mr Bopper chuckled again and stepped out from behind the counter, obviously still pleased to see Killua. "Well it's good to see my #1 customer back again. Is this young lady your girlfriend?"

Both Killua and I froze and went bug eyed at the old man's remark.

"NO WAY!" Killua exclaimed, his face flaming bright pink. "WHO WOULD EVER WANT TO DATE HER!? NO ONE!" He pointed his finger at me accusingly and I immediately felt a pang of hurt, my expression falling.

Mr Bopper suddenly frowned. "Well, either way would you two like to choose your candy now?" A smile spread across his face again. "Since you two are so nice you can get a bag for free today."

"Oh…thank you." I sent the old man a small smile before walking away from Killua and towards the chocolates. I noticed there were different sized white bags hanging near the candy so I grabbed a medium one before looking at the candy.

I wasn't really looking at the candy though, my heart still hurt from Killua's comment. It got to me so badly.

I sighed and began to fill my bag with some candy. A few chocolate frogs, some caramel drops, some white chocolate squares and then I moved to the gummy candy aisle and filled it with some gummy bears, some sour worms and a few packets of gum.

I was looking around for one last thing to grab to finish it off when I felt a tap on my shoulder. I turned and saw Killua standing awkwardly behind me, holding out one of the large lollipops that almost looked like a Popsicle to me with his own stuffed bag of candy in his other hand.

"Here…" He said, avoiding looking at me in the eye as he shuffled from one foot to the other. "These are pretty good, try one."

I slowly took the lollipop from his hand and put it in my bag. "Um…thank you…"

There was a brief awkward silence between us before Killua sighed and looked me in the eyes, still looking uncomfortable but more determined.

"Listen, Kuragi, I'm…" Killua hesitated slightly, his cheeks turning a little pink as he shoved one of his hands in his pocket. "I'm sorry about before…I didn't really mean it."

My heart warmed at his apology and I smiled. "Apology accepted…." My smile turned into a smirk and I suddenly felt mischievous. "Now aren't you getting soft, Mr Zoldyck." I teased before bolting away with a laugh when I saw Killua's brow twitch in annoyance.

I zoomed past Mr Bopper with a giggle. "Bye! Thanks for the candy old man!" I managed to get out before dashing out the door and down the street. It wasn't even I second later did I hear the door slam open behind me.

"GET BACK HERE YOU LITTLE WITCH!" I heard Killua yell as he chased after me. I just flipped him the middle finger over my shoulder, only serving to pissing him off more. "GRRRRRR!"

Suddenly, I was tackled to the ground from behind and sent sprawling to the pavement in a fit of laughter, my bag of candy going flying but thankfully staying closed. Killua flipped me over with a triumphant grin on his face as he pinned me down.

"Ah-ha!" He exclaimed, an evil glint in his eyes. "Gotcha!"

I just continued to giggle, finding all this too amusing, until I noticed the position we were in. Killua was straddling me and had my wrists pinned down on either side of my head.

I suddenly felt **very** uncomfortable.

"Uh, Killua…" I coughed awkwardly. "Can you get off me now?"

Killua seemed to pause for a moment to take in our position before his face turned pink and he lept off of me. "Wh-whatever!"

I climbed to my feet, dusting myself off and clearing my throat awkwardly before picking up my bag of candy.

"We should go back anyway, we don't have too long until matches start." Killua excused as he walked passed me quickly, heading back down the street. I followed after him silently.

'_God…ever since Gon said that stupid question I've been all over the place around Killua lately…this sucks.'_

Killua and I walked back through the streets towards the Arena in silence, even though it wasn't an awkward silence it still felt thick and uncomfortable. It wasn't until we actually got back to the Heaven's Arena did Killua talk.

"I'm going to try and wake Gon up so the idiot doesn't sleep in too late." Killua said as he turned to me after we walked into the lobby.

"Oh…Okay. I need to go find a phone and call Palm anyway." I shrugged.

Killua suddenly seemed to have realized something. "Oh yeah, when you're ready to send the money to your family just hand it to me and I'll take care of it, and I suggest you don't send it all out at once just send it in chunks. Anyway, see ya." With that he turned with a wave and walked away.

"Okay! Thanks Killua!" I called after him, getting a few glares from the contestants around me, obviously just having woken up, I just flipped them off before heading to the receptionist.

"Excuse me." I said, catching the girl behind the desk's attention.

"Oh, yes? How may I help you?" She plastered a smile on her face as soon as she saw me.

"Are there any phones here I am able to use?"

"Of course, just over on the right wall are some payphones." She pointed in the direction for me to head. "You're free to use them as you please."

I gave the receptionist a polite smile. "Thank you." With that I headed of in the direction she indicated and soon found the payphones. It wasn't until I actually picked up the phone and put it to my ear did I realize I didn't have any change. I grumbled and put the phone down.

"Goddamnit…" I went to move away, back up to my room to grab some Jenny, only to pause when something caught my eye.

Bellow the coin slot for Jenny was another thin horizontal slot, there was a little image bellow it of the Hunter Association Crest.

"Oh yeah…these things take Hunter Licenses." I laughed at my own forgetfulness and picked up the phone again, pressing it to my ear as I reached into my skirt pocket and pulled out my Hunter Licence, inserting it into the slot half-way.

There was a 'beep' on the other end of the phone soon followed by a voice recording. "Please do not remove the Hunter Licence until after the phone call."

That was new, though, nothing else happened so I assumed I could make the call now. I quickly dialled Palm's number before popping another chocolate ball in my mouth, chewing as I listened to the ringing on the other end. I was a little surprised that the chocolate balls hadn't been crushed when Killua had tackled me before. My face heated up at the memory and I quickly shooed it away.

"Hello?" I was thrown off slightly by the voice that answered the phone, because it definitely wasn't Palm's, but it only took me a few moments to register and remember the voice even though it sounded slightly different over the phone.

"Akallu?" A wide grin spread across my face at hearing my brother's voice again, at speaking his name, I had missed him a lot.

There was a small pause on the other end of the phone, it was so quiet I could hear him breathing which was shaking slightly. That worried me a little.

"Kuragi…?" His voice was trembling now and I heard him sniffle, like he was close to crying.

'_Oh god why is he crying!?'_

"Yeah, Aka, it's me. Are you okay? Why are you so upset?" My voice had automatically gone quiet and gentle, trying to sooth my brother the best I could over the phone.

"I MISSED YOU SO MUCH!" Akallu suddenly blubbered loudly into the phone, making my poor ear ring as he sobbed.

I smiled at that, feeling myself tearing up as well. "H-Hey, I missed you too buddy. Come on, no need for the waterworks." I sniffled, my own voice trembling cause of my effort not to cry. "K-Kay'?"

I could hear Akallu sniffling loudly and wiping his tears away. "K-Kay'" His voice was still trembling but it at least sounded like he wasn't out right crying anymore.

I sniffled and chuckled quietly as I wiped my own couple of tears away. "How've you and Palm been? Where is she anyway?"

"Oh, Palm-neesan is packing so she asked me to get the phone for her. We've been having so much fun! 'Neesan said we can finally travel like I want to, isn't that great!?" As he talked Akallu got louder and more excited. "And she said it was all thanks to you! Thank you Oneechan!"

The grin that stretched across my face was so wide it hurt my cheeks but I couldn't help myself, I could feel pride swelling in my chest and it just took all I had not to burst out into tears with just how happy I was. It was really finally hitting me hard at just how much of an impact passing the Hunter Exam had on my life; no, not just my life, Palm and Akallu's as well. In fact, their lives were most likely affected the most. I was even hearing the results of the impact right now, as I talking to Akallu, simply because never **ever **in my life had I heard him sound this happy or excited.

"Don't thank me, Aka'." The chuckle that came out of my mouth was shaky with my effort not to cry, "I promised you I'd help you travel the world, to see all those places you read about, remember?"

"That's right! That's ri-" Aka suddenly cut himself off and there was muffled talking in the background, I barely recognized it as Palm's voice. Akallu responded with my name and there was some more muffled talking before Akallu was addressing me again. "Palm-neesan wants to talk to you 'Neechan, okay?"

I smiled and laughed slightly at Akallu's pouty tone, he obviously wasn't happy about having to hand me over to Palm. "Okay, sure, hand me over to her."

"Okay…." There was silence and shuffling as Akallu moved to take the phone to Palm.

I took this time to pull the phone away from my ear and wipe my face and sniffle, calming myself down so I wouldn't cry. I was starting to really miss my family, starting to get homesick.

"Kuragi?"

I jumped as my name came faintly from the phone and quickly pressed it back to my ear. Suddenly remembering the questions I had to ask.

"Kuragi, you better not have hung up on me." The voice was Palm's, sounding stern but there was such a tone to it that I knew she was just teasing.

"No, I'm here." I answered quickly, feeling a little nervous. I didn't know how to go about asking her.

Palm sighed and chuckled lightly. "Good. Now, how have you been? **You haven't been causing trouble have you?**"

I blanched at her emphasis on her accusation. "No…."

"Lier, Little Bug!" Palm didn't sound angry, she more just sounded like a mother scolding her child after catching him with his hand in the cookie jar. Though, the thing that made my heart jump was the nickname she called me, I hadn't heard it in years and I had missed it. This was a sign Palm was becoming more relaxed….happier. "But as long as you came out of trouble okay I don't mind. I've said it before, and I'll say it again; as long as you're okay, I'm happy. After all it's the only thing you'll promise to do."

I laughed at her saying. For the longest time she had scolded me for getting into trouble and telling me to stay out of it and behave, but after so long she finally knew I wouldn't listen and found it impossible to keep myself from trouble so she switched her tactics and just told me to not get myself hurt. Suddenly my laughter dwindled as I remembered something that had happened after I first made that promise…

'_I couldn't even keep that promise….'_

_I shivered in the cold as I kneeled down on the cold, hard and sand covered concrete as small shards of glass dug painfully into my knees. I dry heaved violently as warm tears ran down my face, the only warm thing around me. I stared with blurred vision through the rain at the dark forms lying on the ground, slashed open…_

'_Blood…..so much….blood…'_

_My wide-eyed, panicked gaze slowly moved down and fell on my hands, gashed open and covered in blood. My fingers twitched and I closed my hand painfully before finally keeling forward and emptying my churning stomach in disgust._

_I could faintly hear Akallu's wailing over the heavy downpour of rain-_

"Kuragi?"

I flinched back violently, away from the phone, wide eyed, in a cold sweat and breathing heavily at the haunting memory. I had tried so hard to forget and lock it away….why come back now?

"Kuragi, answer me." Palm's voice was frighteningly calm and firm, she knew something was wrong.

I tried to answer but all I could do was gasp for air, my chest and throat were tight and felt constricted. My eyes watered and I felt like I was chocking no matter how much I swore I breathed. My hands we shaking so badly I could barely hold the phone, in fact my whole body was shaking.

"Kuragi!" Palm's voice was distressed now, she was on the verge of panicking. "Kuragi, calm down!"

"Pa-" I croaked and my voice cracked, the edges of my vision was starting to fade black and I stumbled, dropping the phone.

"Are you alright!?" I felt someone catch me and hold me firmly from behind. "Hey!"

I turned to look and just barely made out the receptionist. I was beginning to panic now, making my breathing more quick and ragged and my chest was agonisingly tight. I could very faintly hear Palm yelling through the phone for me but my ears began to ring loudly, blocking it out. I gripped the receptionist's sleeves tightly, trying to find some sort of anchor but I couldn't get in control of myself. I had no idea what was happening.

I was terrified and my heart beat sporadically in my chest to the point it was painful. I wanted Palm, I needed her, I needed her to hold me and help me calm down.

"Hel…Help…" I whispered out. "Help…Daddy…"

Just before I succumb to darkness, my mind not being to handle anymore.

_**I hope this makes up for it being so late….over 10,000 words. Btw this isn't just filler, the whole of the Heavens Arena Arc and more will being very important to the series in the long run so this all does have meaning.**_

_**Question:**_

_**Is Kuragi Questioning her feelings for Killua odd in any way?**_

_**Guess for what was happening in the little flashback up there?**_


	15. Mind X Over X Matter

**RESPONSE TO **_**kri**_**:**

**Nope, something else that will be revealed in this chapter actually.**

**There will be more fluff! You can count on that!**

**.**

**RESPONSE TO **_**winddemon199**_**:**

**I know right? They are adorable! Hmmm, She's fiiiine….kind of….**

**.**

**RESPONSE TO **_**SlightlyYandereMelissa**_**:**

**Trust me, I am lazy as hell X3 writing 10,000+ words kind of killed me. This chapter killed me too, 11,000+ words.**

**Oh I love banter between siblings, glad it was amusing!**

**Oh don't be worried! She's fine….kind of.**

**.**

**RESPONSE TO **_**Guest**_**:**

**Oh thank you! I tried very hard and put a lot of work into Kuragi when making her! That is such a huge compliment, thank you so much! Lemon scene? If I do add one it will be around the Chimera Ant Arc or maybe an add-on/Epilogue.**

**.**

**RESPONSE TO **_**xhunterxhunterx**_**:**

**Don't worry, my sister thinks I'm creepy for the same reason X3 I'm glad you enjoyed the fluff though! You'll find out what happened, just read on! Hope you enjoy this chapter!**

**.**

**RESPONSE TO **_**a:**_

**She indeedy had a Panic Attack, poor girl. Way ahead of ya! There is s scene just for them in this chapter!**

**.**

**RESPONSE TO **_**Guest**_**:**

**Aw gosh thank you so much! I am so glad you enjoy my story! I am going to finish this story! I swear I will!**

**.**

**RESPONSE TO **_**JokeLover123**_**:**

**Kuragi remembered something traumatising from her past and that triggered her to have a panic attack, sorry if that confused you, I didn't want to make it too obvious. I know she's my OC but I really ship them more than I should; in case you are interested their two pairing names are Killagi and Kurallua, I can't choose which one is better. Oh god, I am just picturing Mito giving Gon a talk about periods! Poor Gon…At least it's not the sex talk….**

**UPDATED MY DEAR FRIEND! Hope it was quick enough!**

**.**

**I Do Not Own Hunter X Hunter**

**.**

_/15/ Mind X Over X Matter / _

_The rain poured down heavily, creating swirling masses of thick, murky sand and dust out in the deserted streets. No one ever stayed out in the rain if they could help it, since the sand often created small pools of quicksand and the rain flooded the road, no one wanted to step into that. _

_I sat inside, dry but cold, watching the rain as it fell from my seat near the windowsill, my bare arms folded neatly on the windowsill. I shivered from the cold and sighed, heavily resting my chin on my arms, the rhythmic falling of the rain sending me into a somewhat tranquil daze that was almost putting me to sleep._

_Almost._

_I was too cold and too bothered by the fact said rain was preventing me from going outside to sleep. There was nothing to entertain me inside; Palm was tidying up, keeping herself busy, and Akallu was playing with his toys with happy giggles._

"_I'm bored…." I whined as I fell back, letting the top half of my body fall off the chair and hang upside-down as I kept myself from falling off completely with my legs. Wincing when my legs throbbed with pain slightly._

"_Well than do something." Palm said simply as she picked up one of the couch cushions and began to sew up one of the moth-eaten holes in it. It was the couch she had bought just Yesterday; full of holes, covered in stains and I swore I had seen a cockroach or two crawl out of it before. _

_I opened my mouth to ask if I could go outside, since I didn't care about the rain but Palm cut me off._

"_Something __**inside **__and __**productive**__." Her voice was firm as she looked through her lashes at me with a tight lipped frown._

_I pouted up at her and crossed my arms, giving her my best 'puppy eyes' look but she just rolled her eyes and looked away, concentrating on sewing up the cushion. I grumbled and sat back up with a grunt, only to see the rain had stopped and brighten up again. I lept off the chair and turned to Palm with a beaming smile._

"_Can I-"_

"_No, I want you to stay inside and behave for once, __**just once**__." Palm cut me off, not even looking up as she spoke, but she sounded tired and her voice was hoarse._

_I deflated but quickly looked around for __**some **__excuse to go outside, any excuse. Thankfully I came up with an idea when I spied the kitchen._

"_I'll go shopping!" I piped up quickly, smiling innocently. "I mean, we need to get more food, right? I'll get it! I can be quick and you can keep cleaning the house!"_

_Palm paused and glanced at me before sighing and moving the cushion off her lap and placing it down at her side slowly. She folded her hands neatly in her lap before suddenly fixing me with a blank unwavering stare, making me flinch. Palm's gaze burned into my own and I fidgeted nervously._

"_No." Palm finalized firmly after what seemed like an eternity of silence._

"_But-"_

"_You keep getting yourself into trouble, Kuragi!" Palm snapped, her expression suddenly turning fierce, the dark bags under her eyes making the furious glow in her eyes more prominent._

_Her sudden raise of voice frightened me and made me step back. "I-"_

"_No! Listen to me, right now, Kuragi!" Palm continued on, standing in her obvious anger. "For once just listen to me! You never listen to me, you keep going out and dragging yourself into trouble! Stealing things, tricking people and putting yourself in danger! You are being a criminal, a bad disobedient child! Mum and Dad would be disappointed."_

_Palm's words stung me; not only had she never raised her voice at me or around me, ever, but she had never spoken to me like this. I teared up, my heart hurting, feeling like someone had reached into my chest and started squeezing it, and suddenly feeling ashamed and wanting to hide. I hiccupped and tears streamed down my cheeks as I quickly hide my face in my hands. I hated others seeing me cry, it made me feel weak and humiliated._

_I sniffled and sobbed quietly into my hands. "I just want to go outside…I hate it here, I hate it! I…I want to go home…" I snivelled and whined, looking up at Palm with puffy eyes and trembling lips._

_Palm's gaze softened. "Oh, Kuragi…" She kneeled down in front of me and brought me in for a hug tightly. "I'm sorry, Little Bug, so sorry. I shouldn't have yelled at you, I know you want to go outside but I want you to stay safe…I worry…and if you were to get hurt I wouldn't be able to forgive myself…"_

_I sniffled and buried my face in her shoulder, wiping my tears away on her sleeve as I wrapped my arms around her neck. I wanted comfort from her, comfort that let me know Palm wasn't angry with me anymore and that she was sweet and gentle Palm again. "I won't get in trouble…promise…"_

_Palm sighed and held me away from her enough that she could look me in the eyes. She tucked some hair behind my ear and smoothed the rest back. "Kura…."_

"_Please…." I whimpered. "I wasn't lying, I'll go shopping for you. Please let me go outside."_

"_Kuragi-"_

"_Boo!"_

_Palm was cut off by a sudden cry and something small colliding into us both. We looked down and saw Akallu giggling up at us as he tried his best to wrap his little arms around us both. He must have been distracted from his playing when Palm had raised her voice at me._

_Palm smiled at Akallu and switched her hold from me to him before standing with a grunt, hoisting him up and onto her hip as she did so. Palm looked down at me before sighing in defeat. _

"_Alright, you can go shopping." She relented _

_I beamed, all past sadness and fear forgotten as I jumped up and down in excitement. "Yes! Yes! Yes!"_

"_But-" Palm continued, making me deflate slightly. "You have to take Aka with you." At this she placed Akallu down in front of me, Akallu giggling madly and clinging onto my waist._

"_Onie-cham! Onie-cham!" Akallu giggled and buried his face in my stomach. "Shoppin' Shoppin'! Yay! Yay! Yay!"_

_I smiled, patting Akallu's head before looking up at Palm with a nod. "'Kay. He can come with me." I looked back down to Akallu. "Time to get your shoes on, Akallu! Shoes on!"_

_Akallu giggled and detached from me before waddling off to our room to put his shoes on. As soon has he was out of sight however, Palm caught my attention once again. She kneeled in front of me with a serious expression and placed her hands on my shoulders, squeezing them gently as she spoke._

"_Kuragi, I want you to promise me. You __**will **__stay out of trouble and you __**will **__stay safe. If you can't keep yourself out of trouble, __**please**__ just keep you and Akallu safe and out of harm. Not just now, but every moment you step out that door you keep safe. __**Promise me**__, Kuragi."_

_I felt like I was in trouble, and it made me feel nervous. My young, still barely innocent mind didn't really comprehend the weight of her words. Of course I was going to be safe and wasn't going to get hurt, I wasn't going to do anything dangerous and I had never really done anything dangerous before. I was just having fun. But I did understand that Palm was distressed and worried over Akallu and I, that this promise would be important._

"_I promise, Palm." I muttered quietly, still feeling like I was in trouble. "I promise I'll stay safe."_

_Palm's expression softened but she didn't smile. She pulled away from me before holding her hand out to me, offering her pinkie. I looked at her pinkie in confusion wondering what she was doing before hesitantly reaching forward and grabbing it; shaking it, thinking it was some sort of odd hand shake._

_There was a small moment of silence before Palm busted up laughing as she pulled her pinkie free from my grip. "No, no. Kura, it's a 'Pinkie Promise'."_

"_Pinkie Promise?" I scrunched up my face as the odd name rolled off my tongue. Something akin to a ceremony involving us cutting off our pinkies and promising something over them popped into my mind and I quickly clutched my hands to my chest, eying Palm's pinkie sceptically._

_Palm raised her eyebrow at me, her eyes flickering between my hands to my scrunched up expression before she smiled warmly, lowering her outstretched pinkie before slowly reaching forward and holding my hands gently. _

"_Oh, Little Bug." She cooed at me with a smile as she gently pried my hands apart and away from my chest. "Don't worry, a Pinkie Promise is something lovely and special. Nothing scary or something that would hurt."_

_I looked at her sceptically, prepared to rip my hands away from her if I needed to. "Well than what is it?"_

_Palm smiled and dropped out of my hands before closing the other into a fist, keeping the pinkie extended though. I flinched a little when she did so and she frowned at me._

"_Would I ever hurt you, Little Bug?" Palm's tone was soft and quiet, as if she was talking to a scared little lost cat._

_I relaxed, remembering that this was Palm, my loving sister who would do anything from me. I must have still been a little jumpy from when she raised her voice at me. I sighed and shook my head before extending my pinkie to her, unsure what else to do._

"_Pinkie…Promise?" I offered quietly, still not knowing what exactly a Pinkie Promise was and what to do._

_Palm smiled and wrapped her pinkie around mine, surprising me a little as she shook it up and down gently. "Pinkie Promise."_

_I stared at our linked pinkies for a moment. Slowly, my mind registered what a Pinkie Promise was and my face flamed with absolute embarrassment and shame. I quickly ripped my pinkie away and shoved my hands into my pockets, ducking my head low in shame._

"_Okay! Okay! P-Pinkie Promise done! Can we g-go now?" I stuttered out shamefully, trying my best to forget just how stupid I had been. I was completely embarrassed over the fact I had thought a Pinkie Promise was something other than what it had turned out to be. I was silently wishing Akallu would hurry up and put his shoes on so we could just get out of here and I didn't have to face my humiliation. I heard Palm giggle and my face flushed even more red as I glared at the ground._

"_K-Kuragi, are you embarrassed about the Pinkie Promise?" Palm giggled even more and I glared at her, she was hiding her obvious grin behind her hand._

_I stomped my foot and huffed in anger. "N-No! Shut up!"_

"_Aw, Kuragi, it's okay." Palm tried to muffle her giggles as she tried to reassure me. "You're only 8, its okay you didn't know what a Pinkie Promise is."_

"_Shut up!" I whined and stamped my foot again, making Palm giggle harder. I just wish she would leave it be so I could forget my humiliation._

"_Onie-cham!" _

_Palm finally stopped giggling at my humiliation as we both turned to see Akallu in the doorway rocking back and forth on his heels, a large beaming smile on his face. He had his shoes on now, purple runners covered in dust that used to belong to me until I grew out of them. They used to be the ones that lit up when you walked but the batteries in them had long since died and none of us could really be bothered enough to get new ones and replace them. They didn't really fit his feet either and clashed with his plain brown shirt, that was much too big and baggy for him since it was another one of my hand-me-downs. One of the sleeves was slipping off down his shoulder._

"_Alright!" Palm chirped with a smile as she stood up. "You two might as well get going, just in case it starts raining again."_

"_Okay! Come on, Aka!" Akallu rushed over to me and I grabbed and held his hand just in case he tried to run off when we made it outside._

"_Here, Kuragi." Palm reached into her pocket and pulled out a few Jenny, a little extra then she normally would use when going shopping herself, before kneeling down and handing it to me. "There's some extra here so you and Aka can get a little treat."_

_I meekly took the Jenny and tucked it safely away in my shorts' pocket, the one that could zip closed, then gave Palm a parting kiss on the cheek. I turned and opened the door, still holding onto Akallu's hand tightly, and sent a smile at Palm._

"_Bye, Palm! We'll be back soon! You can count on us!" With that I practically skipped outside, closing the door behind me. _

_I lead Akallu down the street, being careful that neither him nor I slipped or got our feet stuck in the completely mud covered street, as well as watching every other person we came across. I never knew who would try to mug or attack us. We were almost to the Market, which was just a street lined with crummy stalls selling crummy food and odd 'trinkets', when I overheard the voices of kids floating down an ally we were passing. A familiar alley._

"_WHOA! That would be such a giant haul!" A male voice, kind of nasally._

"_Yeah it would! But shouldn't we wait for Kura…?" Another male voice, this one a little bit softer and not as nasally, but still similar to the other one_

"_She hasn't been showing up to our usual place lately….I heard from Mana; her sister caught her stealing in the market the other day and doesn't let her out as much. No surprise she hasn't shown her face lately." Another male voice, deeper and more mature than the others, the eldest of the three obviously._

"_Awwww maaaan." The two previous voices whined together. "That sucks! She was the only girl our age in this shit-hole!"_

_One of the voices, the nasally one, snickered. "Yeah but with the way she dresses and acts she might as well be a boy."_

_I stopped walking, pulling Akallu to a stop along with me. He looked at me curiously, probably wondering why we had stopped before reaching the Market but I payed him no mind. I knew those voices; they were the kids I hung out with whenever I was outside. They adopted me into their little group and taught me tricks to getting food and money, the way to 'survive' as they liked to say. But it wasn't just to survive, it was a good bit of fun as well._

_I looked down the alleyway longingly, wanting to join my friends and see what they we so hyped about, but I remembered that Akallu was with me and the promise I had made to Palm. _

'_Kuragi, I want you to promise me. You will stay out of trouble and you will stay safe. If you can't keep yourself out of trouble, please just keep you and Akallu safe and out of harm. Not just now, but every moment you step out that door you keep safe. Promise me, Kuragi'_

_I fidgeted restlessly, getting anxious. I missed my friends and the banter we shared and the heists we pulled together. They were my second family, my home away from home, and in my opinion it had been way too long since I last had seen them._

"_Onie-cham…" Akallu tugged on my arm, getting my attention. "Shopping….?"_

_I sighed, quite prepared to just leave my friends behind and go shopping like I had said I would do, but their voices floated up through the alley again and what they said made me stop and rethink._

"_Well, it really is too bad she isn't here, the haul we're going to get from this if we succeed is massive. We can even sell the stuff we don't need and get so much money, having another person on this job wouldn't hurt either."_

_The breath was knocked out of me just from those words. What they were talking about, the heist they were planning, it sounded like it was going to be huge. Bigger than anything we had ever done. Not only did the haul they were talking about appeal to me but the fact that it was __**bigger**__ ment it was __**harder**__._

_I always did like a challenge._

"_Akallu…" I turned to my little brother and kneeled down in front of him. "Wait here for me, okay?"_

_Akallu's face scrunched up in confusion as he looked up at me. "Where going?"_

_I smiled reassuringly at him, assuming he may be nervous that he was being left alone, and pat him on the head comfortingly. "Nowhere far away, I'm just going to talk to my friends then I'll be right back and we can go shopping, okay?"_

_Akallu frowned at me. "Okay…."_

_I smiled and stood up. "Wait right here, I'll be right back! Stay out of sight and don't let anyone see you!" I made my way down the alley, but as I walked my smile faded and I found myself getting nervous. I worried about Akallu._

'…_stay out of trouble…_ _keep you and Akallu safe…Promise me, Kuragi.'_

_I shook my head, getting rid of the doubt and worry in my mind._

"_Akallu will be okay." I reassured myself out loud. "He's a good boy, he'll stay there and wait for me. As long as I do this quick I can get back in no time."_

_I continued down the alley with a clearer mind, rounding a few sharp corners before I came to a very open dead-end. As soon as I stepped into the opening, however, I was balled over by a pair of sandy blurs; two of my friends._

"_KURAGI!" They both wailed together as they wrapped me in a giant bear hug. _

_I wheezed as they squeezed the air out of me and giggled slightly before shoving them off and hopping up. I smiled at the two grubby blond boys that were sprawled out on the floor laughing._

_They were twin brothers both 2 years older than me, and practically identical save for their eyes, the only way to tell them apart; one had blue while the other had brown. The one with blue eyes was the more nasally sounding twin and also the 'nicer' of the two; his name was June. While his brother, the one with brown eyes, was the rougher of the two whom tended to be more reckless and a little bit of a jerk at times; his name was Augustus but everyone called him August just to piss him off. _

"_Well, __**hello **__to you too, boys…" I smirked down at them as June hopped up and Augustus sat up with a scowl, rubbing his head._

"_Kura! You're here!" June chimed with a smirk, practically jumping up and down with joy before he got in my face with a sly smile. "So, what did you do, sneak out?"_

_I shook my head and was about to tell him about everything, Akallu waiting for me included, but Augustus stood with a grumble and cut me off._

"_Pffft, doubt that. Kuragi's too much of a wimp to do anything like that, her sister wouldn't like it." Augustus snorted and grinned at me, like he knew everything. "She's like your Mama."_

_I puffed up in annoyance at the know it all tone he sent my way and the fact he was mocking me for something I did. I absolutely hated it when someone talked down on me._

"_Ha, no." I scoffed in Augustus's face, planting my hands firmly on my hips and wanting to make him feel stupid for assuming, even though he was completely __**right.**__ "I did sneak out, __**August.**__ Palm wouldn't let me out so I snuck out the backdoor. She didn't know a thing!"_

_I silently hopped to myself that none of them knew my house didn't have a backdoor. _

_Augustus was taken aback, his eyes going wide in surprise briefly before he got back his snooty composure, crossing his arms. "Whatever! I don't care!" Suddenly he smiled at me and ruffled my hair. "Just glad to have you back! We've been suffering without your magic tongue!"_

_I grinned, batting his hand away from my hair playfully. "Yeah, yeah, good to be back and all that crap. How many times have I told you not to pet me like a dog?"_

_I found it weird that the twins called my skill to talk someone into something my 'Magic Tongue.'_

"_So, why are you here, anyway?" A deeper voice cut in from behind, making me jump and spin around in surprise._

'_Of course, how could I have forgotten?'_

_Standing off to the side, hiding from the sun in the shade and leaning against the wall was Wind, the oldest of the group at 17, and the residential 'lurkier' as the twins liked to call him. He was practically none-existent in the shade despite his white hair and tank top._

_I grinned at Wind sheepishly, he always knew I was here for some specific reason or another, better to just cut to the chase. "Well…I happened to be walking by when I heard about this __**huge heist **__you guys were talking about. I want in."_

_Wind gave me a once over before smiling and stepping out of the shade to pat me on the head. "Of course you're in, we needed you for this job anyway. Let me give you the run down." Wind paused to make himself comfy on the ground after I knocked his hand away from my hair with a huff, then continued with a serious expression. "Mana caught wind of some sort of shipment making its way across country. Apparently their going to be passing really close to town on the East Side shortly, since Mana had found out a little later than she usually would have we're running on a tight schedule. Interesting isn't it? The fact that she found out this late means whatever is being transported is ridiculously valuable and whoever is transporting it went through a lot of trouble to hide the fact it's being moved. Even going so far as to move the stuff in a shoddy looking carriage."_

_My interest was piqued. "Any idea on what exactly is in the carriage?"_

_Wind smirked. "Jewels, a shit-ton of jewels and gold. There is literally a small fortune in it."_

"_Holy shit…." I breathed, completely taken aback. "So…what's the plan?"_

"_Since we are running low on time we're pretty much going to wing it." _

"_Wing it?" I was surprised, we __**never **__winged it, we always stuck to a set plan. Wind always made sure we had a plan so nothing could go wrong and none of us would get hurt. "Are you serious?"_

_Wind nodded and stood. "We're winging it, but we're all going to have set roles to follow. June and August are going to distract the carriage driver and get that carriage to stop, Mana is going to meet us in the outskirt and be lookout while I sneak up to the back of the carriage and take out any guards who might be guarding it from the inside."_

"_And me?" I asked, eyes wide with excitement at just the thought of this job. "What am I going to do?"_

_Wind's expression became even more firm. "Kuragi, you're going to be doing the most important job, when the driver's distracted and I give the okay you drive the carriage out of there. Take it wherever you think it won't be noticed or raided by anyone else."_

_I nodded. "Got it."_

"_Alright. Let's get going then." Wind made his way to the far wall, moving a large plank of wood away from it and revealing a narrow pathway. "You know the drill."_

_The twins made their way through the path first, then me and then Wind who closed up the path behind him. We went through this way in case anyone ever overheard our conversations and planned to ambush us at the entrance or something like that. Wind took a lot of precautions to keep us all safe._

_Once we were all on the other side of the path Wind got our attention. "Alright, everyone split up and take different routes to the East Side, we'll meet up near the rust bucket. Got it?"_

"_Got it." We all nodded before splitting up and going in different direction, the twins being the exception since they never went anywhere without each other._

_I ended up making it to the meeting point last since I had taken the longest route, practically looping around the whole City before making it to the East Side. Wind waved me over when he saw me sneaking to the rust bucket, which was just a rusted old truck half buried in the ground. I crouched between him and Mana, who sent me a smile and signed hello to me._

_Mana was more of an acquaintance than an actual member of the group, acting as our informant or scout when we needed her. I had only meet her once before now but I knew I could trust her; she was 6 years older than me, making her 14, with very short, choppy brown hair and eyes. She kept her hair as short as she could without being bald and dressed in boy's clothes so she'd be less recognizable as a girl and safer from rape. She was a smart girl who taught me a lot of tactics for escaping from a hold and how to navigate the back alleys so it seemed like a maze to anyone following me. Mana was also an excellent lip reader due to her being deaf and had taught us all how to understand and use sign-language. _

_I waved a hello back to Mana and smiled._

"_There it is." _

_We all turned to look through the broken windows of the truck as Wind spoke and spotted a carriage coming through the sand dunes in the distance. It was obviously our target._

"_I'm going to start sneaking around." Wind addressed us, pulling a tattered blanket around him like a sort of make shift poncho/hood so he could stay close to the ground and not worry about sand getting in his mouth or eyes. "June, August, you two start sneaking around the front and thinking of a way to stop that carriage and get the driver out of his seat so it's free for Kuragi to take. Kuragi, you start sneaking towards it using a different path than the twins."_

_We all nodded in understanding and Wind turned to Mana._

"_Mana, like I told you before, keep an eyes out for anything suspicious, if you see __**anything**__ like that hit the truck three times before getting out of here. Don't wait for us." He handed her a metal pole as he spoke and Mana took it with a nod and a smile, blushing slightly. _

_Everyone knew Mana had a thing for Wind, it was too bad that Wind had his eye on someone else._

_With that, Wind got low and started circling around while the twins took off sprinting to the carriage, not caring at all if they were seen since they could easily think of a good excuse. I went to start sneaking as well but Mana stopped me with a hand on my shoulder, I turned to her in confusion. She signed 'good luck' to me and I smiled._

"_Thanks, Mana."_

_With that I took off, much like the twins except slower, and lower to the ground. I pulled my shirt up so it covered the majority of my hair, since the bright red would have easily been spotted against the dull sand._

_Once I got close enough that I could clearly see the carriage I ducked behind a sand dune and waited, my heart beating frantically as I sweated nervously. We had never done __**anything **__this big and I was already starting to panic about ways this could go wrong. I took a deep breath to calm myself and carefully looked around the surrounding sand, I was surprised to spot Wind not too far away from me in the same position; waiting for the twins to distract the driver. Wind met my eyes and gave me an even, reassuring look that calmed my racing heart slightly but I was still ready to get the hell out of there if anything went wrong. _

'…_stay out of trouble… keep you and Akallu safe…Promise me, Kuragi.'_

_I shook my head, I still hadn't broken that promise….technically._

_Suddenly there was a shriek and I jumped, quickly looking over the sand dune, my heart racing as every negative scenario ran through my head. I spotted the carriage stopped not too far away with two figures in front of it, one slumped on the ground, unmoving. My eyes widened when I realized they were the twins and I started to panic that one of them had been hit. _

"_Oh my god, June!" I heard Augustus wail as he dropped to his knees next to June, who was the figure on the ground not moving, and I freaked out more. I tensed, completely ready to run over there and help, as the driver of the carriage freaked out himself and got off the carriage._

"_H-hey! This is no ti-time for jokes, boy!" The driver didn't sound at all convinced this was a joke, he obviously knew he just hit June._

"_Jokes!?" Augustus shrieked at the driver, face going red with anger. "This isn't a joke! You hit my brother with your stupid carriage! Oh my poor, dear brother!"_

_I froze and stared at the scene before I grinned, feeling completely stupid when I realized that Augustus and June were just acting. There was no way, in __**any**__ situation, would Augustus call June his 'poor, dear brother' unless he was joking or __**acting**__._

_I looked to Wind for permission to move, to get closer so I could take the carriage. He nodded at me, understanding the look I sent him, and we both began moving towards the carriage. _

_I stayed as close to the ground as I could, practically crawling as I got closer to the carriage cause there was no way I was going to risk getting caught now that we had come so far. I crawled under the carriage for cover and watched as Wind climbed into the back, his feet the last thing I see._

_I waited silently, holding my breath and listening carefully. I could still hear the driver freaking out about June and Augustus yelling. At least that would cover any noise of a scuffle if there was one. A few moments later there was still silence from inside the carriage and I was beginning to get nervous._

"_Wind?" I whispered quietly, looking up at the wooden boards above me, hoping for a reply, but there was none. Of course he wouldn't hear me over the driver and Augustus's yelling unless he was really listening._

'_BANG'_

_I practically lept out of my skin as the loud metallic bang echoed throughout the sand dunes._

'_BANG'_

_I panicked and looked around for the source of the noise, fearing that it was someone or __**something**__ coming._

'_BANG'_

_My eyes went wide in realization._

"_Mana…."_

_She was signalling us, she had seen something._

"_Shit!" The muffled curse came from above me, obviously Wind. "Kuragi! GO!"_

_I frantically pushed myself out from under the carriage at Wind's signal, slipping on the sand in my panic, and leapt into the driver's seat. I picked up the horses' reins as the twins lept in on either side of me._

"_Go, Kuragi!" Wind called again from the back and I whipped the horses' reins._

_They whined loudly and took off like a bullet, almost throwing the carriage out of balance and tipping it on its side, almost. I narrowly missed the original driver, who was gapping at us as we passed, and tried my best to control the horses. I still had no idea where to take the carriage._

_As if reading my mind Wind yelled out to me. "Take us to the Warehouse, I'm pretty sure there won't be anyone anywhere near there after the Troupe came through and stayed there a few months ago!"_

_I nodded silently and egged the horses on more, going faster and just wanting to get the hell out of there. I took the long way to the old abandoned warehouse, making sure that we wouldn't be followed or noticed by anyone in the City._

_It took around half an hour to make it all the way around the City and too the warehouse. Once we got there, though, Wind jumped out of the back and opened up the doors for me before I steered the carriage in. Once we were in, the doors were closed and bared and the horses had settled we all collectively let out a sigh, the twins going so far as to just slump off the carriage and onto the ground._

_I sighed and just relaxed back, staring up at the high ceiling of the warehouse, a goofy grin on my face as the remainder of adrenaline worked its way through me._

"_Wooo, boy!" June chirped with a laugh as he hoped up from the ground. "That was fuuun! Can we do it again!?"_

"_No." Wind immediately shot down, not happy at all. "We are not doing that again, it all went to hell."_

_I looked at Wind in confusion, wondering why he was so displeased. We had gotten the carriage and we were all safe. So what was wrong?_

"_But we got the carriage didn't we? Why are you so pissed?" June, oddly enough, voiced my thoughts._

"_Want to know why I am so fucking pissed?" Wind raged, his face scrunched up in anger. Something was definitely wrong. "__**This **__is why I am so pissed!"_

_Wind ripped the cover off of the carriage, revealing plain crates before he climbed into the carriage and kicked a crate off and onto the floor, breaking it open. Packets of white powder and pills spilled everywhere and I just stared in confusion._

"_What…?" I mumbled, getting off of the carriage._

"_Drugs….Fucking drugs!" Wind growled and kicked the carriage with enough force to rock it and spook the horses. "We stole fucking drugs! This is why I am so pissed!" He picked up a packet of pills and hurled it against the wall, making it burst open. "WHAT THE FUCK ARE WE SUPPOSED TO DO WITH THIS!? This was not a part of the plan!"_

_We all stayed silent as Wind fumed, kicking the crate he had already broken and smashing it into smaller pieces until he finally calmed down._

"_Why don't we just sell the drugs then?" Augustus spoke up from his place still on the floor once Wind had completely calmed._

_Wind sighed and ran a hand through his hair. "That would be an absolute fantastic Idea, oh why didn't I think of that." He was speaking in an obviously sarcastic tone. "August, who normally runs the black market for drugs in this town?"_

"_The Mafia…" Augustus answered with a frown._

"_Good. Now, who would be the only people game enough to transport drugs so close to __**Meteor City **__and call it jewels?" Wind asked Augustus again._

"_The Mafia…?" Augustus spoke more unsurely this time._

"_Exactly. Now who the hell did we just steal from?"_

"_The Mafi-Oh shit…."_

"_Fucking exactly."_

_We all stayed silently, letting the knowledge of what we had done sink in. We had just stolen from the Mafia._

_**The Mafia.**_

"_What are we gonna do?" I spoke up silently, my voice shaking._

_Wind sighed. "We get out of here, leave the drugs in this warehouse and never look back. Just forget about this whole thing. Got it? We don't mention a thing to __**anyone**__, we play dumb."_

_We all nodded._

"_Good, everyone go home, sorry we didn't get anything out of this…" Wind's tone was disappointed as he turned and walked out, shutting the door behind him._

_I looked at the twins as June hauled Augustus up off his ass. The twins looked back at me and forced smiles. _

"_See you tomorrow?" They asked together._

_I sighed and shrugged, knowing it was very unlikely. "Maybe. Bye guys…"_

"_Bye…" They quietly called after me as I walked out the door. _

_The first thing I noticed when I got outside, however, was that the sun was setting._

"_It's getting late…Palm is going to kill me when I get home, bet Akallu is missing me t-" My eyes went wide when I remembered. "Akallu!"_

_I immediately took off sprinting down the road, cutting through alleyways to get back to where I had left him._

"_Stupid! How could you forget about him, Kuragi!? You idiot!" _

_By the time I got there the sun was almost completely set and it was looking like it was going to rain again. My legs were screaming at me for running so long but I ignored it as I looked around for Akallu. He was nowhere to be seen._

"_Akallu!?" I called out, praying to god he'd answer me but he didn't. "M-Maybe he went home?"_

_I tried to reassure myself, calm myself down, but that reassurance went right out the window when I saw one of Akallu's shoes laying on the ground a few feet away with a red stain on it. My heart leapt into my throat as I ran over and picked up the shoe, the red stain smearing on my hand._

_It was definitely blood._

"_AKALLU!?" I was practically screaming now, panicking with what could have happened to my little brother. "AKALLU ANSWER ME!"_

"_K-Kuwagi!"_

_I froze when I heard the scream. It sounded so far away and so full of fear. I didn't even think, I took off running in the direction I had hear it come from._

"_Akallu!"_

_I ran through the back street, quickly looking down side alleys without stopping for even a moment. Until I looked down a certain alley._

_I froze in my tracks, staring wide eyed and panting as my blood ran cold and my grip on his shoe got painful._

_There he was, lying on the ground._

_Not moving._

_I couldn't even see if he was okay, his back was to me._

"_Aka…." It was only then did I notice the 4 other men around him in the alley, all dressed up in suits._

_They didn't belong here, they weren't from here._

_Rage immediately consumed me when I saw them, near my brother who wasn't moving._

"_You motherfuckers." I growled moving forward. "What the hell did you do to my brother!?"_

_None of them answered, they all just looked at each other before one nodded and another pulled out a gun. I froze when the one holding the gun picked up Akallu and put the gun to his head. I was glad he seemed to be unconscious and don't have to go through this._

"_You move, we shoot." One of the other men spoke up casually, speaking as if he was bored with the situation. "Just answer some questions for us, and we might let you go depending on if we like the answers."_

_I gulped, a cold sweat breaking out on my forehead. "What do you want…?"_

"_Nothing much, just our shipment back that you and your friends stole."_

_I stopped breathing and I swear my heart skipped a beat when he said this, I was completely and utterly terrified. I didn't know what to do._

"_I….I don't know what you're talking abo-" I jumped and shrieked when I gunshot rang out through the alley, the barrel of the gun the guy was holding pointed in my general direction and smoking._

"_Don't you bullshit us, bitch. We know you and your little group of snot nosed shits are the only people in this City with enough balls to steal what you think are jewels. Now tell up where our drugs are or I blow his fucking head off." He pressed the gun to the side of Akallu's head and I started to really panic as the situation fully sank in._

'_What do I do? Oh god….I'm going to die, they're going to kill me, oh please no. __**They're going to hurt my little brother**__.'_

_I was beginning to hyperventilate and I couldn't think straight. 'Oh please god, I don't want to die. Please, don't hurt my brother. Not my brother, please.'_

"_Fucking answer us! Where are the drugs?!" The guy pulled the gun away from Akallu and pointed it at me but I didn't even care, as long as Akallu was safe._

_Akallu was safe._

'…_stay out of trouble… keep you and Akallu safe…Promise me, Kuragi.'_

_That's right, I had to keep him safe, I promised. I didn't give a rat's ass about me. He was my top priority. I was going to do anything to get him out of here safe and alive._

_I clenched my teeth and forced myself to calm down, to think. I was getting the fuck out of here. I had a plan._

_I exhaled slowly and relaxed, trying my best to turn on my 'helpless little kid' act. "I-I really have no idea what you're talking about mister just….please…please let me and my brother go, please don't hurt us!" For extra measures I even threw in some fake tears and a trembling lower lip._

_None of them reacted at all, aside from the gunman looking to the same companion he had before, most likely for some kind of signal. His companion just sent him a glance and looked away but I knew in their world that could have ment anything._

'_Never trust the cover of the book, it may look bright and cheerful but you might find, when you actually read the book, it's full of nasty and twisted secrets and lies. Nothing is ever as it seems, never trust anyone, because everything in this world is made of lies.'_

_Wind's first advice to everyone when we had all joined up to steal, his own version of 'Don't judge a book by its cover'. We all vowed to live by that rule, at least in this City, and now was going to be no exception._

_The gunman laughed and lowered his gun to his side. "Oh shut up kid, quit whining. Tell you what; how about I hand over the brat and you tell us where are drugs are? Sound like a deal, huh?"_

_I narrowed my eyes at him suspiciously, immediately cautious and unsure. I was going to take the deal of course, not one to pass up __**any **__chance to rescue my brother, but I was going to bolt the first chance I got instead of telling him anything about the drugs._

_I never went against Wind's instructions and now was no exception to that rule, and like hell I was going to potentially rat out my only friends in this hellhole._

"_A deal? Okay, doesn't sound too bad." As I spoke I 'relaxed' my posture to come off less threatening and slowly walked forward. "We have a deal, you're going to hand over my brother first though, yeah?"_

_A few of the Mafia men seemed to be unsure as I approached, most likely not used to their demands being met with such a calm, peaceful approach especially from a young girl but none of them reached for their guns; if they had any. The gunman himself tensed, however, raising his gun yet again to aim it towards me, but I didn't falter as I walked forward since he didn't seem at all threatening but that didn't mean I wasn't beginning to feel the fear creeping up on me. It was making my steps slower, heavier, my hands shake and sudden doubts enter my mind._

_Sure I was part of the only organized group of thieves in Meteor City, a group that obviously dealt with danger and risk every time we even stepped out into the public eye, but we had __**never **__come face to face with anyone as powerful and intimidating as the Mafia and __**none of us **__ever took on someone with a gun. I, myself, had never gotten into serious danger or at least any life threatening situation like this. Akallu had even been dragged into it and that ran my nerves absolutely haywire._

_But I had to remain calm, at least on the outside, because my calm outward demeanour was throwing them off, I could see it, even the gunman's hand was shaking as he held the gun but not in fear, more in uncertainty and hesitation. The more thrown off and confused they were the more likely it was that I'd be able to get out of here with Akallu, unharmed._

_I stopped walking within a few feet from the gunman that held Akallu, just close enough that I could quickly lunge forward and grab Akallu but also just far enough that I could make a break with a low chance of any of the Mafia grabbing me before I could make it out of the alley. But this was just a precaution, just in case the gunman, or any of his friends, tried something._

_The gunman smirked down at me but I couldn't properly read his expression, the sunglasses over his eyes made sure of that. _

"_Alright, no funny business, Brat." The gunman sneered. "Take the little baby."_

_He all but dumped Akallu onto me without a single thought and I just barely managed to keep him upright, as well as myself. Akallu wasn't all that heavy but I did struggle with his weight combined with his height, my back was bowing backwards uncomfortably because I couldn't find a good way to hold him, I just ended up holding him against me with my hands wrapped under his arms, his head laying limply on my shoulder. For a brief moment I panicked that he was already dead but then I felt his light breathing on my neck, making me relax, making me let down my guard._

_With Akallu in my arms I felt an overwhelming sense of relief and joy. _

_He was safe and in my arms, away from the men who could hurt him._

_That's all that mattered._

_Suddenly, there was a loud snap and roar as thunder rumbled not too far in the distance, the sky suddenly darkening as more rain clouds converged over the city and blocked out the bleak sunlight._

_I jumped in surprised at the sound of thunder, bought out of my relief and back to the situation at hand. I couldn't relax yet, I wasn't out of the frying pan. There was still the threat of looming danger._

_I looked up at the Mafia and they were all smirking at me, a few snickering. Lightning flashed and illuminated their sunglasses, making them look like the eyes of a racoon or alley cat glaring at you from the darkness, stalking you._

_I was still in their trap, I was still their prey. I had to get away._

"_So, a deal's a deal." The gunman sneered down at me. "Now, where the hell are our drugs?"_

_And that was my que, I took no time to think, no time to hesitate, I took off running down the alley as fast as I could; which wasn't very fast at all considering the weight I had to care, the awkward way I was carrying him and the still wet sand under my feet. _

_I wasn't fast enough._

_I didn't even make it half way down the alley before I felt a sharp, relentless tug on the back of my hair that ripped me back with such force my neck and scalp began to throb agonizingly. As I was pulled back Akallu was ripped from my arms from the force, I just couldn't hold on to him. _

"_Aka-!" I was cut off with a hard blow to the stomach that made me choke on my own breath and winded me. Then I was thrown back by my hair into a pile of discarded trash, some of the broken wood and glass left there digging into my back, arms and thighs to the point they broke skin and made me bleed._

_I coughed and wheezed as I sat up, disorientated and holding my stomach. The world was spinning from the potential whiplash I had gotten from being ripped back by my hair so suddenly and my head was throbbing as my stomach churned dangerously. I felt like throwing up everywhere._

_A foot slammed into my forehead when I finally managed to sit up, sending the back of my head slamming onto the brick wall behind me, disorientating me more, my vision going fuzzy and my mind clouding._

"_Stupid little bitch, that's what you get for trying to skip out on your end of the deal. Tell us where the fucking drugs are or we'll beat you bloody!" The gunman was looking over me with the most vicious, blood thirsty expression that made everything in my body scream RUN, and I would have, if it wasn't for the fact Akallu was laying on the ground unconscious not too far from me. My first priority was still getting Akallu out of here safe, there was no way in hell I was going to leave him behind._

_I slumped forward and shut my eyes tightly to try and calm my raging headache and stop the world from spinning, breathing heavily. It worked slightly but I was on a tight time limit, I needed to get out of here as soon as possible and every second counted._

"_Answer me you little thief!" The gunman slammed his shoes into my stomach this time, making me double over and hack up saliva. "Tell me where the drugs are before I blow your fucking head off! You are trying my patience!"_

_I wheezed, my own patience wearing thin. I had the very bad habit of getting absolutely pissed when I was hurt as a form of intimidation. I did not, at all, like to be controlled, the only people I tolerated telling me what to do were Palm and Wind. And when I was pissed I tended to become a little mouthy and defiant._

_I glared up at the gunman and clinked my face into a sneer before spitting at him, proudly landing a good sized spit wad on his classy polished shoe. "Go shove a foot up your ass, jackass, I ain't telling you shit…"_

_The gunman tsked, seemingly disappointed but grinning at me. "Shame..." He grabbed and lifted me up by the hair before pistol whipping me across the cheek and dropping me back down._

_I crumpled in on myself, curling into a ball as I held my cheek in pain. It was way stronger than any of the other pains, so much so that I really had to try hard not to scream in pure agony. Warmth pooled in my mouth and I disgustedly spat it out, staining the dirt beneath me a dark red. My cheek had been split open by my teeth, making blood pool in my mouth and I didn't know it at the time but my jaw had been broken._

"_Onie-cham…?" _

_My eyes widened at the small, soft and trembling voice that spoke up and I instantly sat up, looking towards Akallu whom was now awake and sitting up. He was shaking like a leaf, his eyes wide and full of fear and confusion. _

_Akallu had no idea what was going on; he only saw and comprehended that his older sister was crumpled on the ground, surrounded by men he didn't know and the ones that had hurt him, bleeding and just as helpless and scared as he was._

_That's right, I was scared, even with the false confidence my rage had given me I was still completely shaken to the bone. I wanted to run, that's all I could think of doing but I couldn't move, I was surrounded by men very much capable of killing me. If I so much as stood up I was sure I would be shot dead and where would the leave Akallu? I didn't even want to think about that, I couldn't._

"_AH!"_

_One of the Mafia had strode over to Akallu and shoved him down, pinning him down with his foot carelessly. _

"_Shut it ya brat." He sneered down at Akallu, applying more force and making him cry out in discomfort. And that was the absolute final straw._

_Seeing them hurt my brother, hearing him cry out in pain, was crossing my last line. They were going to let us go, we were getting out of here. Not matter what._

_I glared darkly at the man pinning down Akallu, ignoring the rain as it began to fall; lightly at first but then becoming a heavy downpour. My hands moved across the ground, searching for any form of weapon I could use and thankfully I did find something. A broken bottle, sharp and jagged enough to cut._

_I slowly grasped the neck of the bottle and pulled it to my side, half hiding it behind my back, thankfully none of the Mafia noticed. I took a shuddered breath before staring the gunman straight in the eye._

"_You're going to let us go. __**Now.**__" I demanded in such a calm tone that I even surprised myself._

_The gunman stared for a moment before he burst out into full blown, loud, laughter. _

"_Nice act kid, now tell us were our drugs are." The gunman chuckled at me mockingly._

_My anger peaked again and I stood up slowly, careful to keep the bottle out of view. "Go to hell, Motherfucker."_

_The gunman's laughter completely disappeared and he sneered, pressing the gun painfully hard against my temple. "Don't play with me girl." He paused and looked over his shoulder at his companion and Akallu. "Teach her a lesson. Kill him."_

_My eyes widened to the point it was painful and my heartbeat hammered so loud in my chest that it drowned out all other sound when I comprehended what he had just said, then my mind just went blank. I had no time to think, only act._

_Act._

_Everything was a rushed blur as adrenaline and rage took over, I remember faintly hearing a gunshot, Akallu screaming then shrieks of agony as I was splashed continuously with warmth before the downpour turned it ice cold._

_When I finally came back to my senses I found myself staring down at the numerous cut up and mutilated corpses of the Mafia, the broken bottle broken even more because of how tightly I clutched it in my hand, the glass had even cut into both of my palms but the pain was only a dull hum._

_I was feeling numb._

_But was it because of the rain or the receding adrenaline? Maybe both._

_My ears were ringing loudly but the ringing was slowly fading, making way for Akallu's sobs and whimpers and that's when it hit me._

_I screamed and stumbled back, tripping over my own feet and dropping the bottle as I fell onto my ass. My eyes were still locked onto the bodies, it was so horrifying but I just couldn't look away._

_I had killed them._

_I looked down and saw the blood covering me from head to toe, their blood, it completely covered my hands too but I knew some of it was mine if the deep gashes on my palms were anything to go by. _

_So much….blood._

_I gagged and doubled forward, dry heaving as my eyes burned, my nausea was back tenfold. I finally managed to throw up what little content was in my stomach but that did not, at all, make me feel any better. _

_I had just killed people. Living breathing people._

"_Oh god..." I whimpered as the sudden fact that Akallu had __**seen **__me do this hit me. I couldn't bring myself to turn around to look at him, not even to see if he was okay. There was no way I could face him. "Oh god."_

_I had killed people._

_I was covered in their blood._

_I was a murderer._

_I couldn't stop the scream that worked it's way up my throat. A completely gut wrenching, anguished scream._

"_PALM HELP ME! PALM! PALM!" I hiccupped and sobbed, my voice breaking. "PALM PLEASE, I'M SORRY, I'M SORRY! I DIDN'T MEAN TO, I DIDN'T MEAN TO! HELP ME! DADDY! DADDY!"_

"Daddy!"

I bolted up, terror ripping through me as I reached blindly for something, anything, to ground me. I was panting heavily and cold sweat dripped down my forehead, blinded by the fear I couldn't make out and register where I was, only adding to my fear.

"Whoa! Hey, hey!" A woman suddenly appeared in front of me, her hands going to my shoulders comfortingly as she smiled at me warmly. I zeroed in on her pink hair pulled back into a bun and her bright blue eyes, it was Palm. "Calm down, Sweetheart. Take deep breaths, just focus on breathing. You're okay, you're okay."

I nodded shakily and did as Palm said. I shut my eyes tightly and focused on my breathing, breathing in slowly and holding my breath for a moment before exhaling slowly. I did it over and over until my nerves began to ease, my mind cleared and I stopped shaking.

I felt Palm's hands leave my shoulders and I opened my eyes. She was smiling at me in relief.

"Oh thank god, good job. Now why don't you relax and try to rest? Try not to have another panic attack, but if you feel one coming, or just need anything, just press the button next to your bed and I'll come running."

'_Wait…she doesn't sound like Palm.'_

Her voice was way too high to be Palm's and now that my vision had cleared and I calmed down I was able to get a better look at her. Her nose was too narrow, her face wasn't heart shaped and her eyes were too wide for her to be Palm, not to mention her hair was the wrong shade of pink and she was dressed in a uniform similar to everyone else who worked at Heaven's Arena aside from the fact its main colour was white not pink.

I felt humiliated at the realization that I had acted like that in front of some stranger, shrinking into the hospital bed I realized I was laying in.

"Yeah…thank you." I muttered awkwardly and the nurse turned and left. As soon as the door shut behind her, however, an all too familiar voice spoke up.

"Well, that was interesting."

I snapped my head around and spotted Killua sitting next to my bed, leaning back on his chair with his hands behind his head as he looked at me evenly. I couldn't quite read his expression.

"At least you're finally awake." Killua shrugged as he stood up from the chair, his hands being shoved into his pocket. Suddenly, he turned pink and avoided looking at me. "Are…you okay? I mean, what happened before? I got a call from the staff here saying you had suddenly had a panic attack in the Lobby and had passed out."

I sat up in the bed and made myself comfortable, feeling too tired to even pretend to be mad at him or anything. "I…remembered something stupid…that's all."

I avoided looking at him, instead opting to stare at my hands as I absentmindedly traced the faint scares still visible on them from when the glass had cut into me. It turns out those 'Mafia' guys hadn't really been Mafia at all. They were a bunch of who played off being the Mafia so no one had messed with them and their illegal shipment of drugs, but I didn't really care about that.

For the longest time the only thing I had cared about, as well as Wind, was how the hell they had found out we were the ones who did it but we ended up quickly finding that out; it had been Mana, she had been caught by the driver of the carriage and had, without hesitation, ratted us all out and even went as far as too tell them where the alley where we usually met up was.

The guys had shown up there looking for us but instead found Akallu and decided to use him as leverage. After the whole ideal had gone down and I was confined to my room by Palm, who had done it out of complete worry for me, Wind had personally dealt with Mana. None of us had any idea what he did to her but we never saw her again.

"Kuragi, don't lie to me." I was surprised by Killua's tone of voice, it was soft…gentle even. I looked at him in confusion and was met with an expression that completely threw me off. He was worried. It wasn't just plainly there but the look in his eyes and the way he frowned gave it away. "Nothing like a 'stupid memory' would cause that reaction, I know that much and it's especially true for you."

My face scrunched up as I began to feel uncomfortable with the situation. I wasn't ready to tell anyone this, I knew I wasn't. Especially when it came to telling Killua. Or Gon.

"You're right Killua but…" I paused, thinking of the right way to word what I was going to say next. "I'm….uncomfortable with the memory. It's something I tried to, and successfully, forgot. I'm not ready to tell anyone, I'm sorry."

Killua's brow frowned and his worry seemed to make way slightly for anger. "I'm your friend aren't I? You're supposed tell your friends things like this, especially when they're worried…" His face contorted into a confused, unsure expression. "Right…?"

I was completely speechless and unsure about what to say, this was a new side of Killua that I had never seen before. A side that I didn't expect to exist; his gentle side. And from his expression and confusion at what he himself was saying, he was only just discovering and coming to terms with this side.

"Killua-" Killua cut me off before I could continue, his gentle side completely locked up and gone as the regular Killua came back.

"Whatever! Just forget it! You're match has been postponed to this afternoon so just stay here as long as you want!" He spun around and stalked towards the door, completely prepared to just leave.

He was angry with me and that bothered me way more than it should have. It made my heart stop and made me want to cry if I didn't fix this.

"Killua wait!" I stopped him just as he opened the door. "I'll tell you…just later. When I know how to get this off my chest, okay? Just…I've never told anyone this and it makes me nervous about what you'll think." I flushed red when the last part just came out, feeling my embarrassment come back.

My heart was pounding ridiculously loud in my chest in a panic as I waited in an awkward silence for Killua to talk or…just do something, he was just silently standing at the open door with his hand still on the doorknob.

"Okay, sure." And with that, he was gone, the door closing behind him.

I stayed there in a stunned silence before I registered something and blanched.

"Why did he sound so smug when he left?" Suddenly my eyes widened in realization. "That little shit just guilt tripped me, didn't he!?"

Killua had obviously just pretended to be concerned and gentle to get me to tell him.

"That bastard! I forgot how much he can piss me off! There is no way in hell I could ever like him!" My face flamed red. "Oh god I am **not **going back to this! GODDAMN IT GON!"

**Sorry for another chapter of just my original work, and nothing HunterXHunter story wise, that'll be back next chapter!**

**Fun Fact 1: Kuragi is 8 years old in her flashback/nightmare. Meaning she killed for the first time, a group of grown men no less, before she was even 10.**

**Fun Fact 2: Originally, Akallu was going to be held captive by a bunch of human traffickers rather than the Mafia but I changed that. Cause quite frankly a random bunch of human traffickers suddenly showing up and targeting Akallu didn't exactly make sense.**

**Fun Fact 3: The twins didn't exist and weren't ever going to but then I went and watched Ouran High School Host Club again and suddenly had the urge to add mischievous twin characters. So you can thank Ouran for June and August. **

**Fun Fact 4: Palm's hair was originally blonde (in the actually story timeline) but then she dyed it pink in an attempt to be more appealing in her 'job' and attract more customers for more money.**

**Fun Fact 5: This chapter is exactly 10,824 words long, not counting Author's Notes. Counting Author's Notes it's 11,500! **

**Fun Fact 6: As of this Update my story is now 100,000+ words long! Yay!**

**Question Time~!**

**Not really a question, but please don't think Kuragi is Mary-Sue for taking down a group of grown men with a gun on her own! There is a justifiable reason for that coming in later in the story!**

**Okay, what do you think of that little memory from Kuragi's past?**

**What do you think of June, August and Wind? Maybe even Mana?**

**Anyone want to guess exactly WHO it is Wind had eyes for? It's someone we know~ (I am playing matchmaking with my own side character….wow)**

**Killua's gentle side; was it real or fake? What do you think about his 'gentle' side in general? (E.G is it too OOC?)**

**Want me to continue my little 'Fun Facts' segment at the end of every chapter?**

**Do YOU have ANY (and I mean any) questions for ME?**

**OKAY! I have two official pairing names for Kuragi X Killua! But I want to know which one is the preferred one; which one do you like more, Kurallua or Killagi?**


	16. Love X What?

**RESPONSE TO **_**Kri**_**:**

**I hope Killua understands….hate to have a repeat of him hurting her feelings like he did when Kuragi told him about her worries in chapter 14, especially with what's gonna go down in this chapter. I'm sure he will understand though.**

**I'm still contemplating on adding a lemon, it would be the first one I've ever posted…and the fact that Kuragi wouldn't even be 14 (or just barely 14) by that time kind of throws me off of writing it…**

**.**

**RESPONSE TO **_**JokeLover123**_**:**

**Ooo boy would that be interesting if Wing liked Kuragi, but he is WAY too old for her, it would literally be paedophilia if he did. But close guess.**

**I got so absorbed in writing that memory that I didn't even eat…like seriously. I'm trying not to go too 'Dramatic Past full off sorrow you should pity me' on Kuragi's backstory but man….it fits. Oh yes, that sounds exactly like the twins! In fact I imagine that's what they do to each other the majority of the time.**

**Oh god no, ;^: please don't remind me of that, I bawl my eyes out EVERY TIME I see that scene….**

**Mary-Sue is a female OC (the male equivalent being Gary-Sue) that has everything going for her, incredible strength, every single person loving her for NO reason, being able to beat enemies that even the main characters themselves wouldn't be able to and just being perfect in every way, no flaws at all.**

**Who doesn't like Killagi? I mean, I know I'm the author, but I find Killagi so gosh darn adorable!**

**.**

**RESPONSE TO **_**is a flying cookie 22**_**:**

**So glad you loved last chapter!**

**Oh yeah, true! I completely forgot about how he acts around Alluka!**

**Oh my God, would you!? It would just make my life if you drew Kuragi! So, yes, please do if it's not too much trouble!**

**.**

**RESPONSE TO Yinyang555:**

**I pride myself on making likeable and human characters (I really badly stress over any of my OCs being Mary-sue). I am so glad I could make you smile like an idiot! Hope you are doing the same when you see this update!**

**.**

**RESPONSE TO **_**SlightlyYandereMelissa**_**:**

**You can never tell with Killua, he's a sly guy.**

**It was very intense, I myself even got absorbed in writing it!**

**Akallu is damn adorable! That's his purpose for now, to be cute!**

**.**

**RESPONSE TO **_**xhunnterxhunterx**_**:**

**Yay! A fellow Ouran fan! I just adore the twins, like, they are the perfect people to sum up how I act at school XD. **

**You can never tell with Killua though, but I feel honoured that you almost squealed, seriously. **

**Thank you for assuring me about the romance, that's one of the things I have the most trouble writing and I constantly stress over it.**

**.**

**RESPONSE TO **_**Arcana The Wolf**_**:**

**Wow, I got you that immersed? I feel really honoured right now, not even kidding…**

**Oh you caught them both having month names? I was wondering if someone would catch it!**

**Wha! Okay, I plan for them to 'OFFICIALLY' hook up sometime after Heaven's Arena….but that's all you're getting outta me!**

**Hmmmm, I'll keep the idea of Killua tricking/guilt tripping Kuragi into kissing him in mind! Seems like an interesting idea!**

**Oh I understand, I can't type on my iPhone without spelling mistakes to save my life…..**

**Wow really? Cool. It was like 11-12 at night when I updated….I was soooo tired…**

**.**

**I Don't Own Hunter X Hunter**

**.**

_/16/ Love X What?_

Eventually I just brushed it off and accepted that Killua had tricked me, even though I did plan on getting him back later.

Oh the things I would do…

However I had said I would tell him, when I was ready of course, and I did intend to stick to that. But for now I opted to stay in the infirmary and rest because, even after passing out for a few hours, I was still feeling so tired and drained from my recent panic attack.

But resting was more easily said than done because for the life of me I couldn't go to sleep. I looked around the room for any form of entertainment but all I found was blank white walls, my over shirt hung over the back of the chair Killua had been sitting on and the ChocoRobo-Kun chocolates sitting on a small bedside table. However, something else on that table caught my eye; a remote with a single red button.

'_Hm…hadn't the nurse said to press the button if I needed something…?'_

I reached over and grabbed the remote before pausing, contemplating whether or not I should actually press the button. I might as well, I had nothing better to do, I just hopped that the nurse didn't get angry at me for pressing the button for no real reason.

I pushed the button and there was a faint buzzing noise. I waited a few moments before going to press the button again, only for the nurse to burst through the door looking flustered before I even had the chance.

"S-Sorry! I was-uh-handling some paperwork!" The nurse excused quickly, straightening out her uniform ruffled uniform, her hat was almost falling off of her head even.

I couldn't help but giggle at her, she had obviously been taking a nap and had been woken up by me, her poor excuse and the fact she reminded me of Palm made this situation hilarious. I liked her already.

"It's okay." I tried and failed to stifle my giggles. "I-It isn't that important."

The nurse deflated. "So…you're not having a panic attack?"

I couldn't take the confused tone in her voice and just lost myself, laughing loudly.

"H-Hey, come on…I know laughter is the best medicine but laughing at people isn't nice." The nurse whined, obviously embarrassed.

I bit my lip to try to stop laughing but the best I could do was go back to giggling. "I-I'm sorry, it's just-hehe-you remind me so much of my older sister that the way you act-ha-cracks me up!"

The nurse blushed a bright red. "R-really? I remind you of your older sister?" She got a sudden goofy look on her face. "Awwww, you are just too cute!"

Suddenly, I found myself wrapped up in a hug, my face smooshed into the nurse's chest awkwardly.

"Uhm…" My voice came out really muffled. My face heating up quickly. "Cam vuu plwesh lemme goo? Mah fash ish en vuur….eham….boobsh."

The nurse quickly pulled away from me with a squeal, covering her chest and blushing. "I am so sorry!"

"It's okay…" I coughed awkwardly, trying to get my breath back, she had practically been suffocating me.

"No it's not! I am such an idiot! My boss keeps constantly reminding me not to do that to my patients but I always forget!" Suddenly the nurse was in my face, scrutinizing me with a serious and analytical expression. "Are you okay!? I didn't hurt you did I!? OH MY GOD CAN YOU BREATHE!?" By the end of the little rant she was holding my face tightly, almost panicking.

'_Why does this nurse make me think of Leorio combined with Palm?'_

"Uhm…I can…I'm fine really…" I had no idea how to respond to this woman, she was just…different.

"Oh good." She backed away from me with a sigh before smiling. "So, what was it you needed?"

"Oh…" _'Right…I had called her here for something…' _"Well, I was wondering, can I leave? There isn't much to do in here and I'm getting bored to death…"

The nurse's smile turned a little strained. "I-I'm sorry, normally you'd be able to leave since there isn't anything particularly wrong with you but…uh…your boyfriend seemed **very adamant** on you staying in here and resting until your scheduled match..." She gave me a nervous laugh.

Briefly, I wondered just **what **Killua had said to this nurse to make her so nervous but then I registered what she had said.

'_Your boyfriend…boyfriend…BOYFRIEND!?'_

"Who the hell said he was my boyfriend!?" My face flamed red as my voice went extremely high pitched. "He is NOT my boyfriend! There is no way in hell I would ever like a cocky, smug, whitehaired jackass like HIM!"

The nurse stared at me for a moment before she suddenly got a sly smile. "Oh~ I see~ You haven't realized it yet." The nurse cackled softly to herself.

"Huh?" Well she just had a complete 180. "Realized what?" I was thoroughly confused.

"Ooooh, nothing." The nurse waved me off before her smile went from sly back to an ordinary polite one. "Now, you said you were bored, right?"

I nodded, still confused. _'What is this nurse on?'_

"Okay then! Why don't I keep you company?"

"Huh? Uh…okay…" I couldn't help but give her a weird look. I had a feeling that this nurse might have been on some pills she stole from the medicine cabinet. "So…what do you want to do?"

"Why not just chat?" The nurse asked as she sat in the seat beside my bed. "Get to know each other a little? That's always the perfect thing to pass the time."

I smiled, very much liking that idea. "Sure, why not?"

**HunterXxXxXHunter**

The nurse and I actually spent a good amount of hours just…chatting and it felt nice, since I had never really done that, not even with Palm. I had always been to preoccupied with something or worrying that I never even thought to just talk to someone about…anything.

The nurse's name was actually Echo Ebon, she was 19 and had only just been hired as a nurse for Heaven's Arena yesterday, and apparently I was her first patient **ever**. That explained why she had been so nervous, but I thought she had done a pretty professional job of calming me down before. She blushed when I had told her exactly that.

"So your family is still in that run down dumb, Meteor City?" Echo asked curiously, leaning forward with wide eyes.

"Yeah…They're packing though, and it's not too long until I get the money to them and they can get out of there!" I smiled widely at that thought. I had just finished telling her a brief and simple version of my family's life. I left out the more…brutal details though.

"Wow, Kuragi, you're so brave!" Echo was practically swooning over me. "Taking the Hunter Exam just to save your family. You could have **died**!"

I chuckled awkwardly, not really comfortable with the attention. "Uh…it wasn't really that bad, don't go acting like I'm a hero now." However, as I spoke my eyes wandered over to my right arm and I cringed; the branching burns that had once been on my arm from the electrocution I suffered in the Third Phase of the Hunter Exam had scared. There were now pale silver lightning bolt scars branching out all over my arm. It was a gruesome reminder of the types of things I had gone through to help my family.

'_It was way worse than I will admit to anyone…but…it's something I have earned on the path to helping my family, I should think of it as a badge of honour of sorts.'_

At that comforting thought I sat up a little straighter, feeling prouder with myself.

"But you are a hero! Going through all that at such a young age!" Echo swooned again and a cringed at the thought that she was acting like a fangirl.

"Um, no." I corrected bluntly, really just wanting the praise to stop, I didn't deserve the praise. "There are people out there who have gone through worse, people even younger than me."

'_Like Killua…'_

I frowned at the thought and shook it out of my mind, but it was still lingering in the back of my thoughts. I didn't pity Killua, not at all…but I did wish that he hadn't been dealt the hand in life he had been.

"You're thinking of him aren't you?"

I snapped out of my thoughts at the sound of Echo's sly voice, and I looked at her in confusion, not really registering what she had said.

"Huh?"

"Your friend, Killua." Echo clarified with a smug sort of grin. "You're thinking of him, don't lie, it's written all over your face."

"What!?" My face immediately heated up like fire at the thought of being caught thinking of Killua, even though I knew it wasn't anything wrong, I still felt terrified at the thought of someone knowing I had been thinking of him. "H-H-How did you know?"

Echo's smile turned mischievous and she tsked. "Oh dear, do you thing I've never been in love or something? I know the signs, dear. You are in lo-"

"WHOA WHAO WHAO, **'IN LOVE'**!?" I cut Echo off, my face felling so hot that I'm sure you would have been able to roast a marshmallow on it, and my voice going so high in embarrassment that I'm sure I was an octave or two away from only being heard by dogs. "WHO EVER SAID I WAS IN LOVE WITH KILLUA, HUH!? I'M NOT IN LOVE WITH HIM! YOU SOUND JUST LIKE GON! SURE, I THINK KILLUA IS CUTE AND I LIKE HOW UNRULY AND MESSY HIS HAIR IS AND HOW HE TURNS A CUTE SHADE OF PINK WHENEVER HE'S EMBARRASSED OR SURPRISED AND THAT HE LOVES CANDY JUST AS MUCH AS I DO, NOT TO MENTION THAT HE SMELLS GREAT AND HIS EYES ARE THE MOST AMAZING SHADE OF BLUE I HAVE EVER SEEN AND HE'S SO UNBELEIVABLY STRONG AND JUST PLAIN AMAZING AND THAT HE'S THE FIRST BOY TO EVER REALLY TREAT ME LIKE I'M A GIRL AND PROTECT ME BUT I. AM. NOT. IN. LOVE. WITH HIM!" I stopped my rant, breathing heavily to try and catch my breath before my eyes widened and I stared at Echo, whom was smiling at me knowingly. "Right…?"

"Kuragi, sweetheart, I want you to go over what exactly you just said to me carefully." Echo spoke gently, reaching over and squeezing my hand. "Then you tell me. But try not to freak out when you find the answer."

I did as she said and went back over the jumbled mess of words that had just poured from my mouth, my eyes getting wider and breathing quicker with every word until I completely froze and my heart just stopped.

"Oh my god no…." I whimpered, panic welling up in my chest. "I…I….love him. I….love Killua? No-I-What?"

My breathing started to become erratic and my chest felt tight with fear, I was going to have another panic attack.

"What do I do?" I looked to Echo for reassurance. "What do I do? I-I don't know what to do! I-I-"

Echo was at my side instantly, her face full of worry. "Shh, no, don't freak out. It's okay, It's alright. You're fine, everything is fine. Calm down and breathe."

I didn't even comprehend Echo's words, I couldn't focus, couldn't think. There was only one thing running through my mind.

'_When did this happen?'_

**Sorry it's so short and not including actual plot like I promised but I have a lot of assignments and Exams to do so I KNOW I won't have any more free time for a long while so I'm going to update now with a major plot point.**

**Fun Fact 1: I read and reply to your comments before I start writing the next chapter, it gives me motivation and inspiration.**

**Fun Fact 2: This would honestly be how I'd react if I realized I was in love with a friend.**

**Fun Fact 3: Kuragi was originally going to accidentally kiss Killua and then discover her feeling but I found that idea way too…cheesy.**

**Fun Fact 4: The nurse is inspired by my friend Chelsea. Minus the looks.**

**Fun Fact 5: I only just decided (Like this second) to finally make Kuragi realize she loved Killua because even I was getting PISSED that she didn't just accept it….I hope I didn't make a mistake.**

**Question Time~**

**You don't mind this chapter being so short, right?**

**How was Kuragi FINALLY realizing she liked Killua? Too dramatic?**

**Thoughts on Echo?**

**Predictions for what Kuragi is going to do next chapter?**


	17. Like Her X Like Her Not

**Sorry guys…I did warn you it would be a while before I could update again. I'm just really disappointed in myself that I didn't write a longer chapter but I just wanted to update for you guys. Still no serious plot though….sorry…**

**.**

**RESPONSE TO **_**Quinn:**_

**Well thank you!**

**.**

**RESPONSE TO **_**SlightlyYandereMelissa**_**:**

**It might be rated M later…depends if I have enough guts to write a lemon…hehe**

**And thanks, it's fanart drawn by is a flying cookie 22. They did an amazing job don't you think?**

**Everyone loves the nurse! Killua in denial? Oh boooy, are you in for a surprise.**

**.**

**RESPONSE TO **_**animegirl.r**_**:**

**Thank you, that means a lot! Oh that's a secret, you'll just have to wait and see!**

**.**

**RESPONSE TO **_**xhunterxhunnterx**_**:**

**I was laughing my butt off during her rant, I found it hilarious. Gald to know the chapter made you happy enough to jump around your room X3**

**.**

**RESPONSE TO **_**is a flying cookie 22**_**:**

**Oh true. Hm, Killua would probably be flustered at first then-oh I'm getting ideas just by thinking of how he'd react! Now, I have plans.**

**.**

**RESPONSE TO **_**Yinyang555**_**:**

**Oh good, I was freaking out about it being to melodramatic and unrealistic. Everyone loves the nurse! Honestly I love her too, she'll be making future appearances as well so there's something to look forward to.**

**Oh gosh, thank you so much you have no idea what that means to me. But I'd say I'm more experienced than talented, when I first started writing I was soooo bad. It was cringe worthy.**

**.**

**RESPONSE TO **_**Arcana The Wolf**_**:**

**Oh yes, I knew I'd make you grin like an idiot with her confession! Oh my god, I have never read a story like that and I hope I never do, that seems so stupid!**

**Oh you bet I did that on purpose! It seems like such a HunterXHunter type name that I had to roll with it (I mean….there is a character called Stick Dinner so I could have literally named her something like Echo Tunnel and it still would have fit XD)**

**Shy…? Hm…maybe~ I really like the idea of Killua tricking Kuragi into kissing him though, I am so using that in a later chapter!**

**Of course they're gonna be awkward, neither of them have ANY idea what they're doing. It's gonna be so cute!**

**You'll be first reviewer next time…maybe?**

**.**

**RESPONSE TO **_**JokeLover123**_**:**

**Short but great is always the best! I'd react that way, I'd just flip out, and considering Kuragi's recent trauma she's bound to freak out worse than she originally would have.**

**Ooo! Are you psychic!? She does have a sister! Well…had.**

**Hehehe, maybe she will act all clumsy~ You'll find out this chapter, so read on~**

**.**

**I Don't own HunterXHunter**

_/17/ Likes Me X Likes Me Not_

"Kuragi, please come out!" Echo called from the other side of the bathroom door, knocking again. "Your match starts soon!"

I ignored her and just curled into a tighter ball. I had locked myself in the bathroom attached to the infirmary, not wanting to deal with…anything. There was no way in hell I loved Killua. That wasn't my thing, I didn't love people unless they were my family; Killua was just a friend, and that was all. Besides, I was way too young to be in love.

'_Right? I can't love someone at my age….right?'_

My heart thumped loudly in my chest at the thought and I buried my face in my arms more.

'_But what if I do? Do I tell him?...What-what if that ruins our friendship? What if he hates me after I tell him?'_

My heart ached and I felt like crying at that idea. Killua hating me…that would just kill me and I had no idea why. I had lost friends before but it had never bothered me like this.

I needed to talk to Palm.

That was it, I would talk to Palm and figure myself out. Now was one of those times I really needed her advice. Suddenly, my mind wandered back to the phone call and I sighed.

'_I still have to ask her…Damn is this one big Can of Worms…'_

I sighed and slumped back, banging my head against the bathroom wall by accident, flinching when I did so.

"Ow…" I grumbled as I stood, rubbing my head tenderly. "Well…I can't hide here forever." I smirked, becoming more confident and forgetting about my sudden panic. "I have a match to win."

I made to open the door but my nervousness returned, making me pause with my hand on the doorknob as I second-guessed myself.

'_Would Killua even lo-'_ I paused in my thoughts, not eve able to think the word 'love' to myself. _'__**Like **__me back?'_

I frowned and shook my head to try and get rid of the thoughts, because now was not the time to think of this, it was just making me nervous.

'_Why would I even tell him? I don't have to so….so I won't….I don't need anything more, just being his friend is enough.'_

"_Kil' doesn't need someone like you holding him down."_

"Yeah…." I muttered aloud to myself, shoulders slumping. "I'm not telling him…I'd just distract him…"

With that, I sighed, took a deep breath and opened the door.

"WAAAH!"

My eyes widened at a heavy body collided with mine and knocked me to the floor, winding me. Echo had been leaning against the door when I opened it.

"S-SORRY!" Echo yelped as she lept off me, staring down at me in a panic.

"It's okay…." I wheezed, still disorientated and finding it hard to breath. "…you just…crushed my lungs…that's all…nothing serious…"

"AHHH! I AM SO SORRY!" Echo scrambled to pick me up off the floor and crushed me with a hug, forcing my face back into her chest like she had done before. "I AM SO SORRY! PLEASE DON'T HATE ME! PLEASE DON'T DIE!"

I couldn't help but grin at Echo's behaviour, she was just such a big ball of energetic stupidity sometimes that it was hard to stay negative around her. I awkwardly tried to get out of her grip, since she was smothering me again, but it was to no avail.

"Uhmm…Echoo?" I mumbled, voice again muffled by her chest. "Cam vuu pleashe stoop smooterin meh wiv vuur boobsh?"

"Huh?" Echo pulled me away from her chest with a confused look. "Sorry, what was that?"

I smiled and sighed, taking a deep breath before twisting out of her grip. "Nevermind, now, I have a match to win. You wouldn't happen too know which floor it's on, do you?"

Echo grinned at me. "Good to see you're up and running! As a matter of fact I do know where it is!"

**HunterXxXxXHunter**

The spectators cheered as I stepped into the stadium and was briefly blinded by the bright overhead lights. I smiled as I stepped onto the arena, feeling relaxed and ready to let off some steam. A match was definitely what I needed after all that had happened recently.

"And here is Katallus-sama!" The announcer cheered through the microphone, making the crowd roar louder and I winced.

I had already began to hate how they used my last name now, like an honouring title, almost like calling someone King. My last name was famous here but it wasn't my reputation that the name was attached to, it was my father's, and it just felt plain wrong taking praise for it. Not only was it because it was my father's title but also because it made me feel like I was living in his shadow. However, that wouldn't have been as bad if I had actually known him but I didn't, and that just made me feel like I was in a stranger's shadow.

My brow frowned and I thought back to my match with Jilius. It had started off terribly after the revelation that my father had been famous here, I had been too shocked and confused to focus and had almost gotten caught in Jilius' deadly grasp more than once. Then I had opted to just get it done quickly and, thankfully, managed to knock her out with to a swift kick to the back of the head. But I had still been troubled after that.

I sighed and shook my thoughts out of my head, instead opting to observe my current opponent as I blocked out the same old introductions done by the announcer.

He was slimmer and less bulky than any of my other opponents but still muscular enough to clearly be able to see his strength. He was shirtless, wearing bright red pants with a blue flame design with platinum hair that spiked almost like Gon's but shorter. He also had metal bracers around his wrists and was barefoot. He sent me a smile and polite nod when he met my eyes.

I frowned, not trusting him in the least. I narrowed my eyes at him and he frowned. He almost seemed sad.

'_He's just trying to get your guard down…don't trust him…don't fall for it. He's trying to deceive you.'_

I didn't realise it then, but I was starting to revert back to my ways from Meteor City. My stance had even subconsciously shifted to a more defensive and cautious one, ready to flee at any moment.

The referee stepped up and raised his hand, gaining my attention.

"Begin!" And with that the referee leapt back off the stadium to safety, officially starting the match.

I focused my gaze back on my opponent, ready to block any attack he sent my way, but I froze in fear when I saw him.

It wasn't him anymore instead, standing in his place, was the gunman grinning at me with his pistol raised and ready to fire.

I stumbled back in fear, almost tripping over my feet as I began to tremble.

'_No! He can't be here! I-I killed him! I-'_

I blinked and suddenly the gunman was gone and my opponent was back, a confused look on his face. I had just been imagining it.

"OH! What was that, that just happened!?" The announcer yelled through her mic, way too excited. "Katallus-sama seems to be nervous! Is Kurokoo too much for her!?"

"Get it together, Kuragi…" I harshly muttered to myself under my breath as I got back into my stance. "What is wrong with you…? You need to win this!"

My opponent, Kurokoo's, confused expression didn't leave his face as he got back into his own stance, a stance that seemed way too familiar. I briefly thought back to one of the very few books I had read in my life and recognized the stance from a book about hand to hand combat. Kurokoo was probably skilled in some kind of Martial Art.

'_Maybe I should have payed attention to the introduction…Might've had an advantage over him if I knew what style he's using…'_

There was a strange quiet in the audience as my opponent and I stared each other down, neither of use moving and both of us waiting for the other to make a move.

I decided I would move first; just wanting to get this match other as quickly as possible since my nerves were still shocked from my hallucination before. I was still shaking from it.

I tensed before taking off running, still not using my full speed. I was going to test him before I tried anything else. I got right in his face, pulling my arm back for a punch, but just before my fist met his face I ducked under his arm and appeared behind him, sending a solid kick to his back.

Kurokoo didn't budge, in fact he hadn't even reacted once when I had charged him.

"What-" I didn't have any time to react at all, in fact I didn't even see it coming. Kurokoo spun around and landed a solid kick to my side, sending me rolling across the ring.

"Critical Hit!" The referee announced. "Two points to Kurokoo!"

Half of the crowd roared while the other half booed as I pushed myself back up onto my feet, wheezing as I held my side. That kick had hurt, more so than any other hit I had taken in my life. Marking it as a Critical Hit didn't do the kick justice at all.

"And the first hit of the match has been made! A critical hit to Katallus-sama, allowing Kurokoo to take the lead!" The announcer screamed into her microphone, riling up the crowd even more.

I shook it off though, getting my head back into the match. I narrowed my eyes at Kurokoo, shifting into a tense stance again, an even more defensive one than before, as he frowned at me and got back into his own stance. He looked almost reluctant as he did so however, like he didn't want to fight me.

I shifted slightly, almost doubling over in pain when my side throbbed, I wouldn't be surprised if I came out of this with a large bruise or even a fractured bone. I couldn't let myself get hit again.

'_Man…everywhere I go I get a beating don't I?' _I scoffed at my own thought, because it was very true. _'Meteor City…Hunter Exam…and Heaven's Arena, anywhere and everywhere I'm always getting pummelled'_

I took a deep breath and sighed, relaxing from my stance and beginning to circle Kurokoo slowly. He followed my movement with narrowed eyes, moving from his own professional stance so he could spin around, not leaving himself with any blind spots. But I just kept circling him.

After a few tense moments I kicked off, opting to rush him headfirst rather than waste time waiting for an opening that obviously wasn't going to happen, but just before I reached him, I blinked and the gunman was there again. I stopped myself quickly and lunched back and away from him, my heart pounding in my chest as a cold sweat broke out on my forehead. Every time I saw him I was overcome with a primal fear, and urge to flee and never look back.

I shook again and the gunman laughed.

"Poor little girl." He sneered and strode over to me, making me stumble back stiffly as he raised his gun. "Can't do anything, weak little brat!"

I flinched as when he pulled the trigger but as he did he seemed to evaporate into nothing, leaving behind a frowning Kurokoo with his hand extended out in front of him hesitantly, almost like he was reaching out for a frightened and injured animal.

"You okay, kid?" His voice sounded younger than what I expected it to, still deep like someone older but smooth and gentle. He almost sounded like an older Killua.

I exhaled slowly, calming down and collecting my jumbled thoughts, comprehending that I had just been imagining things again. I had just been….hallucinating. I shook my head and narrowed my eyes at his extended hand, leaping back and away from him.

"I'm fine." I gritted out, rather rudely, from between clenched teeth but I didn't give a damn. I was frustrated at myself, to the point where it was actually being taken out on other people.

"Oh what is this?! The participants seemed to have had a brief exchange of words!" The announcer screamed into her microphone again, making me wince. I was starting to get a headache from her lack of volume control. "Right after Katallus-sama's odd behaviour! I wonder what odd mysteries this match holds! What **is **going on!?"

I clenched my fists and prepared to launch myself at Kurokoo but paused when I noticed he was still frowning at me in concern, not in a stance, his hand just limply at his sides.

"Are you sure you're okay? You don't want to stop the match?" Kurokoo asked, taking a step towards me.

I tensed and took a step back, glaring at Kurokoo. He paused when he saw my look before sighing, almost sadly, before hesitantly getting back into his stance.

"Last chance, you sure?"

I frowned and launched myself at Kurokoo, not giving him an answer and this time fuelled by the motivation of ending this match quickly. I ducked under a punch he sent my way, instincts taking over as I used my full speed, making Kurokoo's eyes widen in shock.

I kicked his legs out from under him, wincing when my calf made contact with his much more brawny and muscular ones. I twisted myself around with my hands firmly planted on the ground, going to roundhouse kick him in the face, only for Kurokoo to do the same and knock my hands out from under me, throwing me off balance. Before I could regain my balance Kurokoo crouched on his feet and grabbed me by my ankle before standing, shifting his weight and flinging me up into the air.

Everything slowed down as my stomach churned from inertia. I looked at the crowed, that was roaring for my defeat, egging Kurokoo on, but a calm flash of white and gorgeous blue caught my attention from among the packed stadium before I could even care that everyone was rooting for my downfall.

'_Killua…?'_

However, before I could investigate and clearly see the source of the distraction, I heard Kurokoo mutter something to me quietly.

"Sorry."

Just before everything sped back up and I realized I was headed for the stone floor.

'_This is going to hurt'_

I shut my eyes, flinching and anticipating the painful blow but just before I made contact I felt a stand tingly feeling all over my body.

'_I don't want to get hit!'_

The tingly feeling suddenly focused on my back and got more intense.

Just then I was slammed into the stone floor of the arena so hard that I was imbedded in a me-shaped crater. I lay there in a daze, my vision blurred as the crowd roared louder, thirsting for my defeat.

I was stunned, completely unable to comprehend what had just happened but mainly because…it didn't hurt. The impact didn't hurt me at all, I mean I had felt it and the force behind it. Hell the strength of the collision made the stone crumble around me but still there was no pain, no stiffness, nothing. Like I hadn't even taken the blow.

"Critical Hit and T.K.O! 2 points to Kurokoo!" The referee suddenly exclaimed, making my eyes widen and snap out of my daze. "1—2—3! The winner is Kuro-!"

"Wait-wait-wait-wait!" I yelled, quickly sitting up out of the hole, completely unscathed.

The surrounding crowd all audibly gasped in surprise, the referee freezing in his announcement, going wide eyed, as Kurokoo's eyes narrowed down at me.

I quickly dusted myself of rubble and took a deep breath, rolling my shoulders just to make 100% sure that I wasn't in any pain or discomfort, before I stared up at Kurokoo in confusion, wondering why he was giving me such a dirty look.

The referee quickly re-exited the arena as the announcer stumbled over her words through the mic in excitement.

"Whaaaaaaaa! Katallu-Sama is back on her feet completely unscathed from the devastating blow! I mean, look at the arena! It's completely pulverised!"

The crowd suddenly roared, 100% on my side after this sudden development. I was still shocked myself, still utterly confused as to why I wasn't hurt at all. I wasn't even stiff in the joints or anything.

"That was uncalled for…."

I whipped my head around to face Kurokoo as he spoke, confused when I met his stern expression as he crossed his arms and looked down at me disapprovingly.

"You know, kids like you are the reason I have trust issues…." Kurokoo sighed and relaxed his shoulders, dropping his arms as he ruffled his hair and continued. "Using Zetsu like that until the last moment, you know, then coming out with such a fast acting Gyo, that should count as cheating…."

'_Zetsu? Gyo?' _I was really confused. _'What the hell is he talking about?'_

I brought my guard back up as I began to pant, trembling as I brought my hands up in a ready stance, the adrenalin from the intense blow beginning to ebb away.

"I don't…cheat." I glared at him, feeling annoyed at his accusation. I never played dirty unless it was a life of death situation. "And what the hell are you talking about? What the hell is 'Zetsu' and 'Gyo'?"

Kurokoo cocked and eyebrow and stared at me for a few moment before-

"Pffft hehehe…."

He began to laugh at me.

"Ahahahahaha! No-No way!" Kurokoo doubled over laughing, "You-you're-! A little pipsqueak like you-! HAHAHAHAHA I CAN'T BELIEVE IT! SOME-SOMEONE LIKE YOU-!?"

I puffed up my cheeks and let out a frustrated and angry breath as Kurokoo continued to laugh loudly at my expense, worst of all I didn't get why. "H-Hey! Shuddup you ass! If you got something to say, say it to my face! Otherwise…FIGHT ME!"

I didn't think as I charged him, and that's probably why a moment later I was flipped onto my ass effortlessly as Kurokoo held my arm twisted behind my back, still giggling to himself like a little school girl.

I tried to twist out of his grasp but I only managed to strain myself and tire myself out more. Out of the corner of my eye I saw Kurokoo wipe his eye of tears of mirth before he smirked down at me and twisted my arm back around and lifted me up and back onto my feet at the same time.

I blinked and steadied myself in surprise, giving Kurokoo a confused look as he gripped my hand firmly in both of his and gave me a bright smile.

"What was Leo-sama thinking….?" Kurokoo muttered to himself, obviously not talking to me as he continued to smile, before he suddenly shook my hand firmly. "Oh well…It was nice to meet you…" Kurokoo winked at me. "Kuragi-chan."

I barely had time to react before he; swept my feet out from under me, twisted himself around, and slammed himself face first into the arena, cracking it and leaving me kneeling on his back and seemingly twisting his arm behind him.

I blinked and there was a hush throughout the whole arena before the audience blared to life in a deafening cry, whooping and whistling.

'_Did he just-?'_

I quickly leapt off of Kurokoo's back, my mind whirling in confusion. I barely registered the referee's appearance near Kurokoo and his count out. Kurokoo was apparently out cold.

The referee strode over to my side and lifted my hand into the air. "The winner it Katallus-sama!"

The crowd screamed louder and the referee handed me my ticket for the next floor before bustling me off the arena. As I walked out of the blaring spot lights all I could do was stare down at the ticket in my hand before looking back at Kurokoo, who was still out cold and being carried away on a stretcher.

'_What just happened…?'_

"Yo."

My head shot up in surprise as I paused in my steps. Leaning against a wall casually was Killua, as bored and uninterested looking as ever with his hands shoved carelessly into his pockets. I flushed and froze mid-step, my heart suddenly pounding away furiously in my chest.

"_You're in love."_

My mouth suddenly became dry and I struggled to swallow, suddenly becoming sweaty, well, sweater than I already was. I opened my mouth to greet him back but nothing came out. I bit the inside of my cheek and mentally berated myself.

'_Come on Kuragi, this is no reason to be any different towards him, snap out of it. This is still the same old arrogant, snide, bastard albino that you know. Chill…'_

I took a deep breath before shoving my ticket into one of my own pockets with a sigh, plastering on a smile and making my way over to him. Calming down my racing heart.

'_This is still the same old Killua…..you're the same old you…..nothing should be different, you shouldn't act different. Why should anything have to be different? Why should anything have to change?'_

"Hey….were you watching my match? I could have sworn I saw you in the audience…" I leaned against the wall next to Killua, giving him a bit of a shaky smile. The match before had taken too much out of me to be 100% chipper right now.

Killua puffed out his cheeks and turned away at my question, shrugging. "I was bored…it was either watch one of Gon's matches or yours. Decided to check one of yours this time around. It's no big deal."

I grinned at Killua widely, not missing the light blush on his cheeks, I was embarrassing him.

'_Revenge time for tricking me, brat.'_

I leant closer to Killua, a giant smirk growing on my face. "Awwww, why, isn't that sweet~?" I fluttered my eyelashes for added affect.

Killua bristled and leant away from me, blush growing more as he scowled. "What the hell are you doing!?"

I ignored him and just continued to lean closer, hugging his arm to me so he couldn't escape before I was finished with my revenge. "Come on Kil', don't be shy~ you're such a gentleman~ Coming to cheer me on." I fluttered my eyes more and leaned closer to his face, so close that I could feel his hot breath fan across my face. I had to fight down my own blush because of this.

'_Even in this situation….he's breathing is still calm and collected….'_

I gulped as I leaned even closer, struggling to keep a straight face. "I wonder….how I should thank you..?"

Now, this normally would have been the part where I would leap in and tickle him mercilessly, tease him. But something made me hesitate; something that shined in his wide eyes as he stared into mine, something that made my heart thump nervously but at the same time warm it to the point I thought it would explode and something…something that made me want to cling to him…kiss him.

'_I wonder…what his lips would feel like…'_

My eyes flickered down to his lips, they were pulled into something mixed between a frown and a surprised 'O'. They looked so pink and soft, like fairy floss or bubble-gum, and I briefly wondered if they would taste as sweet as the candy they resembled. I hesitated again and bit my lip, eyes flickering back up to his own beautiful blue ones.

It was probably that moment of hesitation that…**fucked everything up**.

Killua suddenly shoved me away violently, sending me sprawling to the floor in shock.

"What the hell do you think you're doing!? Back off!" Killua glared at me, cheeks flaming an even brighter red then before.

I blinked and sat up, flinching at his suddenly harsh tone of voice. "It was ju-"

"I don't want to hear it!" Killua cut me off before huffing and turning away. "Leave me alone."

My eyes went wide as I watched Killua walk away, beginning to fade into the shadows. "No, wait-! Killua! It was-!" I panicked and reached out, thinking I could grab him before he was gone but it was a vein attempt, he was already too far out of my reach.

"It was…It was just a joke..." My hand dropped back down to my side limply as I hung my head. "Good going Kuragi. Not even an hour and you're already acting like a stupid hormonal teenager around him, nice…..I still blame Gon…"

***With Killua – A Few Hours Before* (Didn't expect this did ya?)**

"Oh! Killua! There you are."

Killua looked up as the elevator doors opened to see Gon, who had been looking for him, greeting him with a big smile.

"Yo." Killua walked out of the elevator and headed towards his room, being diligently followed by Gon. "I'm surprised you're up this early, normally you'd still be snoring away."

"I do not snore!" Gon grumbled, pouting and amusing Killua. "Anyway, where were you? You didn't already have a match, did you?"

Killua shrugged, still clutching the bulging bag of candy in one hand as he shoved the other in his pocket. "Nowhere, went for a walk."

Gon's smile suddenly turned sly as he pushed in front of Killua, walking backwards so he could look at him as he spoke.

"You were with Kuragi, weren't you?" Gon teased, making Killua flush a light red and look away.

"Yeah, so? She wanted to go for a walk, so I took the opportunity to get candy." Killua help up his bag of candy, hoping Gon would dismiss the subject. To his dismay Gon didn't.

"So you took her on a date?"

Killua choked on his own breath and stumbled over his own feet before glaring at Gone sharply. "As if! What the hell would give you that idea, Gon!?"

Gon just snickered, a small mischievous glint in his eyes, before he practically skipped away. "Killua and Kuragi! Sitting in a tree! Going on a date and buying candy!"

Killua bristled and chased after Gon in a rage. "Shut up!"

Gon just laughed and continued to skip away. "Just admit it Killua! It's sooo obvious you like Kuragi!"

***With Killua – Present***

"_Just admit it Killua! It's sooo obvious you like Kuragi!"_

Killua sighed as he walked through one of the crowded upper lobbies, his hands shoved in his pockets and his head low, Gon's words from before echoing in his head.

"I like her….huh..?" Killua's brow frowned and he glared at the floor, kicking his feet against the floor slightly. "Yeah…right…"

"_It's sooo __**obvious**__…"_

'_Obvious? If it's so obvious why don't I see it…?' _Killua's expression suddenly turned a sort of melancholic. _'How do you even tell if you like someone..?' _

Killua suddenly froze on the spot, a few moments of tense silence passing.

"AHHHHHHHH!" Killua's frustrated cry attracted more than a few stares as the albino ruffled his hair in frustration and slumped onto a bench, banging his head on the wall. "Stupid Gon! Idiot! He should mind his own business!"

Killua slumped limply, glaring at the ceiling, mentally cursing out Gon. Before his head snapped forward quickly and he sent murderous glares around at the people who had stopped to stare at him.

"What the hell are you looking at!?" Killua growled, practically sending the promise of death at them through his glare.

The onlookers quickly walked away, trying to look nonchalant.

"Oh! Killua!"

Killua almost groaned as he heard his spikey haired friend's familiar voice. Said boy in green sat down next to Killua a second later, a giant grin on his face and a ticket for the next floor in his hand.

"So…" His smile suddenly turned sly. "How was Kuragi?"

Killua, instead of acting in his usual way, slumped lower in his seat. "Gon..." Killua hesitated, flushing a light pink in humiliation. As much as he didn't want to do what he was about to do something was telling him he had to. "How…do you tell when you like someone…?"

Gon's sly smile melted away and was replaced with a thoughtful look as Gon got into a thinking position, silence being the only thing shared between them for a few moments, but to Killua it felt like an eternity before Gon answered.

"Mito-san always said…it's like seeing all your favourite things together in one room; overwhelming excitement and happiness, never wanting to let this place go, always wanting to protect it and never wanting to share it with anyone else."

Killua was silent, mauling over Gon's words. Everything Gon said could be applied to Kuragi….but also Gon. He wondered if love was the same as friendship, because it did seem similar.

"I know what you're thinking." Gon piped into Killua's thoughts, almost like he could read his mind. "Love seems a lot like friendship right? I know I think it does! But Mito-san always said; there's something different about someone you love compared to friendship. It's always different depending on the people but it's there, it just might take awhile to find it."

Gon smiled at Killua as he looked back at him, eyes wide slightly.

Killua's expression suddenly melted into a teasing one. "Woooow, this has the smartest you've ever sounded, are you're sure your brain isn't overheating right now?"

Gon pouted and puffed out his cheeks. "Hey…that's not very nice." He huffed and turned away. "And after I helped you, too!"

Killua busted up laughing, making Gon pout even more.

"Uh…Hey guys."

Killua's laughter immediately died down as he and Gon turned to face Kuragi, who was making her way over to them, an obvious awkwardness in her movements. Once she made it over to them there was a tense silence as she eyed Killua, frowning.

Gon frowned, not liking the tension that was between his two friends, especially since he knew just how close they were.

"Listen….Killua, I-"

Gon cut Kuragi off, wanting to bring back the usually bright and cheery mood that would normally exist between the three whenever they were together.

"How was your match, Kuragi? Sorry I missed it!"

Kuragi smiled at Gon, the tension in her forgotten as she shrugged. "Not too bad, my opponent was **weird **though."

Gon laughed. "I have a feeling you're gonna be stuck with the interesting matches, right Killua?"

There was an awkward silence and Gon elbowed Killua after he didn't reply after a moment.

"Hm? Oh…whatever." Killua had obviously not been paying attention.

Kuragi frowned at Killua, something flickering in her eyes that made Gon's heart squeeze. He'd seen that look in Mito-san's eyes a few times before.

"Anyway…" Kuragi turned back to Gon, shoving her hands in her pockets before pulling out her ticket. "We gonna cash these in or…?"

**Fun Fact 1: I REALLLLLY struggled with writing Kuragi in the beginning of this chapter.**

**Fun Fact 2: This may seem stupid considering this Fanfic revolves around a romance but….I CANNOT for the life of me write romance and characters in love very well….at least that will make the relationship more realistically awkward….?**

**Fun Fact 3: As I write these chapters I listen to my music on shuffle (over 400 different songs) and sometimes, depending on the song, the music can change the tone or direction of the story as I write. That happened in the match between Kurokoo and Kuragi.**

**Fun Fact 4: Originally Kurokoo was going to be an unimportant one time character but after I thought of a plot device later I gave him a bigger, more important role.**

**Fun Fact 5: We're 8 reviews away from 100! Woooow!**

**Questions~**

**I'm surprised no one had pointed this out or picked up on it yet so I'm gonna drop some hints. Remember in Chapter 8 when Illumi extended his hand and Kuragi felt a sharp pain in her head? Know how Illumi's words keep echoing in her head? (This chapter included) When else has this ever happened in the anime? Who did it happen to? Think, think haaaard. What does this mean for Kuragi? Can you figure it out?**

**What do you think of Kurokoo? Any comments on his lines? Any guessed to how he's related to, and knows, Kuragi?**

**What do you think of that point of view change that wasn't really a point of view change?**

**Gon playing matchmaker? And Killua potentially knowing but denying his feelings? Thoughts on this?**


	18. False X Nen?

**Just a little heads up, it's back to Kuragi's PoV in this chapter!**

**Also! So sorry for the late update! I've been just…uninspired and not in the mood to right… Aslo I've been getting seriously distracted by playing Final Fantasy 13/13-2 (especially with my precious Hope baby now freely at my disposal) I have literally spent the past four days playing it pretty much none stop, seriously, its 7am and I haven't gone to bed yet all thanks to FF13. I'd honestly still be playing it if it wasn't for the fact I got stuck on a boss (Barthandelus Second battle to be exact) AND I've become official Undertale Trash….(Don't know what that is? Google it. YOU WON'T BE SORRY) I need help.**

**Yeeeeeaaaah….I should get my shit together.**

**(Not to quietly mention I feel the intense urge to write a Fanfiction for not only Undertale but FF13 too….HELP)**

**However, something really did get my inspiration back on track! Miraculous Ladybug? (again, google is your best friend, you won't be sorry) mmmmffff I am simultaneously working on a fic for that now too. Chat Noir my bootiful French bby. 3**

**.**

**RESPONSE TO **_**ObsessiveFangirl:**_

**They will confess to each other….eventually….XD just gotta believe. **

**RESPONSE TO **_**Elisablackcat:**_

**Haha glad to know :D**

**.**

**RESPONSE TO **_**Arcana The Wolf:**_

**I'm so glad I'm able to make a story you enjoy so much! I try my absolute best with this story (Even putting my school work aside sometimes to write this…) They'll be getting together before you know it, just trust me! **

**You got very close with Kurokoo actually….not 100% but you got a few aspects right, so much so that you're making me nervous haha. Oh, the reason I don't do PoV changes often is because I really struggle with keeping people in character, especially when you can hear their inner thoughts and emotions. Gon playing matchmaker is a headcanon of mine that constantly reappears as an idea of mine, it's an awesome concept. **

**Lol, vent away, it's your right to vent, especially with Killua being as stupid as he is being….**

**Thank you for taking your time to review! Reviews always make me smile! :3**

**I'll try my best to update faster! I promise!**

**.**

**RESPONSE TO **_**JokeLover123:**_

**First: Killua is right, do you remember what was up with Killua then?**

**Second: Heehee awkwardness continues.**

**Third: He's gotta be weird, it's a quirk that rubbed off on him from (NOPE SPOILER) Also, close, you hit the nail on the head with one of your guesses.**

**Fourth: Good, was worried I went out of character.**

**Fifth: I wouldn't have made him matchmaker if it didn't fit, so glad you think it does.**

**Lol, true, she did act drunk.**

**.**

**RESPONSE TO **_**KagamineBanana:**_

**Oh you know~ What Illumi is up to~**

**.**

**RESPONSE TO **_**Guest:**_

**Gon has always been, to me, the type who'd get his friends together and be sly when he wants to be.**

**RESPONSE TO **_**winddemon199:**_

**Glad you're liking this and Gon the little sly matchmaker haha.**

**.**

**RESPONSE TO **_**havanatitiana:**_

**They'll kiss in due time, don't worry! Even I just want them to kiss! Kuragi a nen genius? Something like that…**

**.**

**I Don't Own HunterXHunter (Nor do I own Undertale and Final Fantasy 13)**

**.**

_/18/ False X Nen?_

"Your money has been deposited into the specified account." The Receptionist said with a polite smile as she handed us our prize money checks. She sent a wider smile my way and bowed her head. "Have a fantastic day Katallus-sama!"

I flushed in embarrassment as I snatched away the envelope and shoved it into my pocket, ignoring her none too politely. I was completely over everyone praising me in my father's name. Sure he was a great fighter, but why the hell would that be cause to treat me like I was the daughter of some important figure!?

I huffed as Gon came skipping up beside me, marvelling at his check with stars in his eyes, with Killua following silently behind us.

"Killua, you were right…I've never seen so many zeros before!" Gon was smiling like a goof. "And just a week ago, I was broke."

Killua pushed in between Gon and I, and I sent him a sour look as he slightly shoved me out of his way. I poked my tongue out at him childishly and flipped him off in annoyance as I feel behind the two boys quietly but out of the corner of my eye I saw Gon send me a disapproving look and I pouted, huffing.

My disappointment at myself for what happened had turned into anger and annoyance towards Killua.

'_He had overreacted, it wasn't my fault he had taken it the wrong way.' _My heart squeezed and I blushed as I looked at Killua's back. _"But then again…I had been going to…to kiss him. I can see why the phrase 'Love makes you do crazy things' is accurate…I haven't been myself. I changed so quickly.'_

Suddenly, some old advice from Palm came back to me.

"_Palm….why does love make you crazy?"_

_Palm paused in her cleaning, looking over her shoulder at me with a warm smile before she put down her dirty rag and kneeled down in front of me. "Now, why do you want to know that?"_

_I shrugged and explained to her how Augustus and June had been teasing Wind constantly about someone he really liked._

"_Ohhh…" Palm smiled, understanding immediately. "I see, so you heard the phrase; 'Love makes you do crazy things'?_

_I nodded and Palm picked me up with a squeal, hugging me tightly against her. _

"_Oooo~ My cute little sister is finally being a girl for once." _

_I knew she was just teasing me but it still ruffled me up; I hated being girly, it always got me teased by the other kids since there weren't really any girls here, and what girls were here still teased me for being girly. You had to be tough here, you didn't want to be the wimp, so I started acting more like a boy and less like a girl, I quickly got accustomed to being more like a boy and, before I knew it, I was one of the more 'feared' kids in Meteor City._

_I squirmed out of her grasp with a pout and crossed my arms. "Are you gonna answer my question or not?"_

_Palm smiled at me and ruffled my hair, pulling her hand away before I could slap it away. _

"_Right, right. You see, when you fall in love it's like…" Palm had to pause and think for a moment. "Like seeing the sun for the first time, like truly seeing the sun and being grateful for all the light and warmth is gives. Once you're in love you see the world in all its glory; colours become so vibrant and bright, the air becomes so refreshing and calming, everything just looks so beautiful. Especially the person you love. It's like you are truly living for the first time, and it's all thanks to that one special person."_

"_Get to the point." I whined, feeling embarrassed because of all this mushy romance crap. _

_Palm chuckled. "I'm getting there, be patient Little Bug. Now, what would you do if this one person in your life, that made everything so much brighter and happier, just disappeared and took all the light with them?"_

_I knew Palm wanted me to be serious about my answer so I stopped and thought for a moment. _

'_Took all my light away?'_

_I looked up at Palm, saw her beaming yet patient smile directed towards me and I couldn't help smiling back. She and Akallu, they were my 'light' if they left me I'd be all alone and I never wanted that to happen. I'd definitely-_

"_I wouldn't let them leave in the first place, I'd protect them and care for them and do anything I could to keep them near me and do anything to be closer to them." I answered finally, giving Palm the biggest grin as she smiled widely at me and pat my head._

"_And that's the answer; love makes you crazy because it will make you do __**anything **__for that special person in your life, it doesn't actually makes you crazy it just brings out a new side to you. I'm very proud of you for being able to understand that."_

I smiled at the old memory, which was one of the few times Palm had outright said she was proud of me. She never said it much, and that wasn't at all surprising considering how much of an idiot I was and still am.

I looked back up at Killua and Gon, who had gotten ahead of me by a few more feet and I smiled, quickly catching up, now that I remembered that advice I had to admit; the world did start looking brighter once I had met Killua.

"You know, I'm a little annoyed." Killua stated plainly once I caught back up, looking at Gon. "My first time here, it took me two months to reach the 150th floor. Meanwhile, you guys are just breezing through like its nothing."

"But you were only six back then." Gon pointed out.

"He's got a point." I added in, pushing in between them and settling back into my usual spot. I always seemed to end up between them. "Even if you are a cool assassin that could probably suplex a bolder if you wanted to, you were only six. It's impressive enough that you even won a match at six years old, I know if I came here when I was six I'd be mincemeat in seconds."

"Well, that's true…" Killua shrugged and threw his hands behind his head before looking at me with one eye open. "But I doubt you'd be mincemeat in **seconds. **You'd probably last a minute…maybe."

I snorted, thinking back to littler me taking on one of the hulks at this Arena. "Nah….I'd be dead and gone the moment I stepped into that ring."

Killua frowned and puffed out his cheeks. "Don't put yourself down, even if you weren't strong back then, the kind of speed you have definitely comes to you naturally, it's almost hereditary I'd say."

I raised an eyebrow in question. "Huh?"

'_Can speed…or whatever is up with my legs even __**be **__hereditary?"_

"Your legs don't even look strong enough to hold up your body weight-"

I growled and was immediately on Killua like a rabid dog, putting him in a headlock and pulling his head down, gamming my fist into his skull roughly and giving him a noogy. Obviously he was letting me do it, since I was sure he could easily twist out of the lock, because he had a very cocky smirk on his face.

"I swear to **god**." I growled, pressing harder. "You even insinuate that I'm fat again I will fucking. Kick. Your. Ass. I am pleasantly plump – not fat."

Killua just grinned wider and twisted out of my grasp before twisting my own arm behind my back. I hunched forward, face scrunched up in discomfort as we continued to walk, Killua forcing me forward with slight pressure on my back.

"Whatever, whether you're fat-" Killua paused when I growled. "**Chubby** or thin doesn't matter, what matters is there is no hope in hell you could kick my ass. Anyway, as I was saying…"

Killua finally let me go and I quickly scooted around to Gon's other side so he was between me and Killua as I nursed my sore arm against my chest, glaring daggers at the casual albino who didn't even seem to give a damn about what just happened anymore.

"You're legs are thinner than anyone's should be, like you haven't used your legs in a while and the muscles have deteriorated, but that doesn't seem to be the case. Even though you're stamina is shorter than usual that seems to be the only side effect, and that's weird, especially considering you have that training up on Kukuroo Mountain to open the Testing Gates…" Killua glanced at me, clearly genuinely confused. "Do you have a birth defect? Where you born like this…?"

I frowned and shrugged, thinking back as far as I could for any knowledge about my legs. "I honestly don't know…They've been like this for as long as I can remember. Palm's never mentioned anything about my legs and I've never asked, no surprise I don't know squat about them." As I spoke I fidgeted uncomfortably, suddenly self-conscious about my legs.

Truth be told, my legs never bothered me until now. In Meteor City there were a lot of deformed people, whether it had been mentally or physically, through and accident, assault, birth defect or a product of incest. No one really judged anyone there. I had been welcome into my close little group of friends; Wind, Augustus, June and even Mana, without even a single comment or question about my legs, soon they just faded to the back of my mind and I completely forgot they were different.

Killua shrugged. "Oh well, like I said before it could just be a hereditary condition."

"Right…"

There was a brief awkward silence as we continued to walk before Gon suddenly spoke up.

"Oh, that's right." Gon immediately caught our attention. "I saw Zushi on TV earlier."

"Yeah, so did I. He's still in the 50s." Killua chimed in.

I nodded my head to add in the fact I'd seen him too. I felt a little bad for him considering how hard he had worked to get strong enough to master his martial arts, but then again he had been up against Killua and there was no way Killua was going to go down to someone like Zushi.

Suddenly, the two boys stopped and I turned to look back at them with a raised brow, they both were staring at each other intently.

"I wonder what that Ren you sensed could have been." Gon mused to Killua.

Killua shrugged before holding up a finger in a sort of 'Eureka' moment. "Maybe if we fight opponents higher up…"

I snorted and strode back over to Killua, slinging an arm over his shoulder. "Or, you know, we could always just-"

Gon finished the sentence for me. "-ask Zushi."

Killua gave us both dirty looks before giving the fakest laugh ever. "Right, right of course, I was just about to suggest that."

I snorted, trying to hold in my laughter as I skipped a head of the boys, going off to find Zushi.

"Yeah right," I called over my shoulder to Killua. "Why you always lyyyyin'."

Killua huffed as him and Gon followed after me.

"Shuddup."

**HunterXxXxXHunter **

We ended up finding Zushi pretty quickly and he happily answered our question.

"Ren is one of the four major principles." Zushi explained, "The four major principles for disciplining your mind and body. Fundamental to every Martial Art! You must know "Ten", learn "Zetsu,"-"

I perked up at this. Hadn't Kurokoo mentioned those? So they were connected…

"-Achieve "Ren," and reach "Hatsu"! This is all a part of "Nen" training! That covers everything." Zushi finished, looking rather smug with himself.

I suddenly got a sort of sinking feeling in my gut and frowned, someone was spying on us. I turned my attention back to the boys and noticed the boys at my side looking a little lost, especially Gon.

'_His brain is frying again…Killua on the other hand…looks like he just spoke to someone who only speaks another language.'_

And as if on cue Killua got in Zushi's face, frustrated. "I have no idea what you just said!"

"Zushi."

We all turned to Wing as he rounded the corner, giving us all a polite smile. I narrowed my eyes at him however, not buying his much too innocent act. He had been the one eavesdropping on us, I knew it.

"Are you sufficiently educated enough that you can teach others?" Wing questioned Zushi as he joined us, making the boy nervous, before addressing us. "Gon-kun, Killua-kun, Kuragi-chan. There's and old saying that is you learn something piecemeal, you'll end up knowing less then when you started."

Killua frowned at Wing. "So you're saying a little knowledge is a dangerous thing? But I want to know right now, because I know it has something to do with the secret behind my brother's power."

Wing's smile faded as he stared down at us, his demeanour suddenly turning serious. "Then, your brother is able to use Nen?"

"I need to know what Nen and Ren even mean! I'll agree to the full learning process rather than a quick explanation!" Killua seemed to be getting a little desperate now, and to be honest the curiosity was getting to me as well, I wanted to know what they were and why Kurokoo had said I had used them.

"Wing, please." I butted in. "Teaching us couldn't do any harm, could it?"

"As long as you're willing to teach us, we won't figure it out ourselves." Killua backed me up.

There was a tense moment of silence as we both calmly stared Wing down, said pink wearing man looking a little torn before finally bowing his head.

"I understand…" Wing sighed in defeat, turning on his heel and walking away. "Come with me to my residence."

I was a bit hesitant, unsure whether to really follow his as he walked away.

'_Are we really going to follow this guy? We barely know him.'_

Gon and Killua casually walked past me after Wing, followed closely by Zushi.

'_Apparently yes.'_

I quickly ran and caught up with them before I lost them in the crowd, making are way out of the arena and to Wing's house.

**HunterXxXxXHunter**

We stood in Wing's Livingroom, patiently waiting as Wing retrieved a whiteboard. According to him it would help with the explanation. Once that was done he stood in front of us and addressed us.

"Do I have your attention?"

I shrugged in return and Killua elbowed me, I sent him a glare before turning my attention back to the frowning Wing.

"Nen means to burn your own soul." Wing began with a smile, uncapping his marker and writing on the board. "It tests your strength of will. And the four major principles are part of a training curriculum to strengthen your will."

I frowned, feeling a little off about his explanation already.

'_That…doesn't sound right. If it has to do with will then how had I used Ten and Ren during my match with Kurokoo?' _I bit my lip, slightly anxious. _'What if he's feeding us false information? Lying to use for some goal of his? What is this was all a trap!?'_

I stopped my train of thought there immediately.

'_Stop. Stop it. There's no reason to think like that, you're not in Meteor City anymore.' _I began to calm back down as I reassured myself, my heartbeat slowing from its panic_. 'The people here aren't like that….Just…maybe if I listen to the rest of his explanation it will make sense.'_

No one had noticed my sudden inner turmoil as I directed my full attention back to Wing, at least I hoped they hadn't.

"Strengthening your will?" Gon innocently questioned for me.

"Training?" Killua added in, his tone just as sceptical as I felt.

"That's correct." Wing gestured to something he had written on the board, it spelt out _Ten._ I narrowed my eyes at it. "Ten means to focus your soul to a single point, to increase your awareness of your ego and goals."

"What?" Was blurted out of my mouth before I could even think. "That explanation was utter bullshit."

Something was off about his explanation, Wing was lying, I knew he was.

Everyone turned to me with wide, surprised, eyes.

"Kuragi." Gon frowned, slightly scolding.

I ignored him, opting to stare down Wing, who evenly stared back with a frown.

"Is there a problem, Kuragi-chan?" Wing asked, something weird in his tone as he pushed up his glasses.

"You bet there i-" I froze as I felt a slimy sensation, pricking and crawling across my skin. I stared up into Wing's gleaming glasses, realizing it was him doing this.

'_He's using Nen'_

"Come again?" Wing questioned, his usual smile plastered back on his face as the chilling feeling persisted. "I'm afraid I didn't quite hear you."

I looked around at the three boys in the room; Gon seemed as clueless as ever, Killua was giving me a curious look with a raised brow, awaiting my reply, and Zushi – Zushi was fidgeting nervously from his place behind Wing and purposely avoiding looking at me. He knew what Wing was doing.

I swallowed thickly, trying to get control of myself and at least steel my nerves enough to be able to talk. "No…never mind….i-it's nothing."

Just like that, the force of his Nen was gone as Wing pushed his glasses back up again.

"Very well then." Wing turned his attention back to board and I shuddered, holding myself as I glared piercingly at Wing's back.

If there was something I could absolutely not stand – besides someone fucking with my family of course – was someone controlling me, whether is be directly or indirectly.

I felt a nudge against my side and turned to see Killua giving me a pointed, somewhat curious, look.

"Soooo, what was the all about?" He drawled into my ear quietly, obviously not wanting to catch Wing's attention.

I looked away and shrugged. "Not now."

"But-"

I reflexively gave Killua an icy look to shut him up, tone becoming clipped and sharp. "**Later, Killua.**"

Killua scrunched up his face at me. "Fine then, whatever." As he turned away his tone was casual and a little whining. But the look in his eyes told me he felt much different compared to how he acted.

I thought back to our brief talk back in the infirmary and I cringed. "Sorry…Killua…"

I didn't doubt that he heard me but I got no reaction, not even a glance my way, making my shoulders slump.

Today just was not my day honestly.

"Alright then." Wing caught our attentions again, turning away from the board. "Shall we continue? Zetsu means to express yourself in words, Ren means to temper that will, and Hatsu means to act upon that will."

Gon looked to the bored and read the major principles out loud. I refused to follow along with him, my body still felt cold from before.

Wing smiled at Gon before turning to Killua. "Killua-kun, Zushi tempered his 'refusal to lose,' during his fight with you."

Killua shifted, lost in thought before his eyes widened ever so slightly. He must have though back to the match.

I cringed. _'Common don't believe him, not you.'_

"So, allow me to demonstrate. Killua-kun…" Wing stared into Killua's eyes, his smile still firmly on his face. "I think I'm going to kill you now."

I knew he didn't really mean it, but at that moment I felt a strong wave over anger rise up from my stomach at Wing's words, making my glare and move ever so slightly closer to my assassin friend.

"Are you ready?" Wing questioned, eyes briefly flickering over to me before falling back on Killua.

Killua shrugged, calm as ever. "Yeah, sure. It's not happening."

I was torn between laughing at his remark and punching him in the arm for it. He had no idea what he was in for. It was, without a doubt, going to remind Killua of his brother.

"Then I will take this step-by-step." Wing reassured. "First come Ten." Wing shifted his stance into one that looked more martial art like; "Focus my soul into a single point. Zetsu; you can express yourself mentally or verbally."

There was a pause as Wing smiled down at us before relaxing. "I will kill you."

I immediately noticed the air around Wing, the boys seemingly noticing it too. My anger rose more as every single muscle in my body tensed, waiting, but for what I didn't know.

Wing's eyes suddenly become piercing and the room was engulfed in the same slimy feeling from before, except it was thicker, more malicious, bloodthirsty and **exactly like Illumi's. **

As soon as that intense feeling hit me every single muscle in my body snapped, and everything went black.

There was just the tiny echo of a voice in the back of my head.

'_Kill.'_

**I'm pretty sure I picked the worst place to end it, sorry! **

**MMMM something be going on with Kuragi, ay?**

**Fun Fact 1: There aren't any fun facts this time around!**

**Anyone got questions for me? Or do you just wanna yell at me? IDK I'm fine with either!**

**ALSO! HOLY MOTHER OF KILLUIST! (Like Jesus Christ, it's an inside joke) DO I REALLY HAVE 100 REVIEWS!? HOOOOOLLLLLLYYYYYY SHIIIIIIT! What should I do to celebrate!?**

**You chose!**

**Lemon Oneshot (Killua and Kuragi)**

**Modern Oneshot**

**Christmas Oneshot (Will involve kisses)**

**Other (please specify)**


	19. We X Need X To X Talk

**Hnnng ;-; I am so useless…I've been focusing on my schoolwork more so I've had literally 0 time to update….and now I've waisted my whole holidays wallowing in my own self-pity…goddamnit!**

**Also not going to be doing more responses this time around….sorry. I don't have the time to.**

**.**

**RESPONSE TO **_**RainCloud41:**_

**Oh gosh I really appreciate all of that! Really! Thank you so much for devoting so much time to my story! I tried hard to very hard to make this stand out from all the other Killua X OC stories and it looks like I did a good job. **

**No, they weren't related to the mafia in anyway, however they are related to two groups you may know. Though in very different ways. And are you talking about Ace? Cause I can see the similarities there.**

**Thank you for the awesome review!**

**.**

**RESPONSE TO **_**DeceivingAura:**_

**Oh Kuragi has really sharp intuition when it comes to liars and all that, because of her time in Meteor City she kind of had to pick that up. Oh gosh, that's such a huge compliment! Thank you! Just don't go getting hooked on my story, otherwise you'll be going through withdrawals a lot lol.**

**Well, I actually got the idea for Gon being a love expert from two key times later in the series; the first is his time with Palm and second is when he mentions how the women that took him on dates taught him things. I assumed the things they taught him were about love XD Who knows, Gon could cannonly be a love expert. **

**It's Kurokoo but close enough. **** AHHH OH MY GOD GET OUTTA MY HEAD! Are you a mind reader? Or am I becoming too predictable? **

**.**

**RESPONSE TO **_**Dramakitty:**_

**Ah about her weakness, she was supposed to be an ordinary person, much like Leorio in the beginning. Someone who had just left home for the first time and had NO idea what she was doing as well, However I do agree that she was too weak, but that kinda was the point ****.**

**Aha prepare for more Drama on the way! I hope this continues to be your favourite story and that you enjoy this chapter!**

_**.**_

**I do not own HunterXHunter**

**.**

_/19/ We X Need X To X Talk_

_'Kill.'_

"...Kuragi..."

I snarled and bristled at the rage crawling on my back and burning through my body, sinking my teeth deeper into my prey and smirking with satisfaction as I heard them cry out with pain.

"Kuragi...! Kuragi!"

Hands suddenly latched themselves around my waist tightly and ripped me away from my prey. I thrashed against them, fighting with all my might, only for it to be in vain. How dare they keep me away from my prey! I was protecting them!

'How dare they!?'

I growled and lashed out around me, managing to strike down one of them successfully.

"Die! Die!"

"Kuragi! Calm down!"

I froze at the voice that called my name, slowly relaxing into the hold once I registered who it was.

"Snap out of it."

My vision suddenly came into focus, the burning rage in my body slowly crawling back into the pits of my stomach and simmering there for a moment before burning out. I coughed and wheezed, suddenly short of breath and trembling.

"Wh-what...?" I paled as I took in the scene in front of me, my stomach churning.

Wing was slumped against the wall, his glasses lying cracked beside him as he cradled an arm with a blood soaked and torn sleeve to his chest, his face scrunched up in pain as he stared evenly down his nose at me. Zushi was trembling in the corner, staring at me with wide and frightened eyes.

"Oh god...what..." I choked down a lump in my throat, my mouth going dry in realization. "What did I-did I-"

Wing was suddenly replaced with the gunman, body limp and lifeless against the wall, body bloody and slashed open and neck slowly oozing blood. I heaved and groaned in horror, body trembling.

It was then I noticed the thick taste of copper in my mouth and the slickness covering my chin, making my stomach churn and flip violently.

"Let me go." I croaked, heaving again and utterly disgusted at the blood in and around my mouth.

Killua's arms around me, rather than releasing me, tightened cautiously.

I groaned and heaved harder, feeling the bile bubbling up in my throat. "Let me go." I stressed, weakly trying to pull away. "Please..."

Killua seemed to finally understand and dropped his arms hurriedly, allowing me to slam a hand over my mouth and franticly look around for a place to empty my stomach.

"Last door on the right" Wing spoke up from his place on the floor, gesturing his head to a small hallway to his right.

I immediately bolted down said hallway, throwing open the last door on the right and immediately kneeling over the toilet bowl and throwing up. My throat burned once I was done, throbbing painfully as I continued to dry heave.

"Agh...ha..."

I slumped against the wall next to the toilet for support, squeezing my eyes shut tightly as I wheezed, brow covered in a sheen of cold sweat. I forced myself up onto shaky feet and wobbled over to the bathroom sink, washing my hands before squeezing my eyes closed before quickly and harshly scrubbing my face of the drying blood and bile.

I stayed there for a moment, face dripping wet as I stared into the mirror, and frowned at my reflection.

'_What the hell is wrong with you Kuragi? Why did you do that!?' _I glared at myself in disgusted. _'You are such an idiot!'_

"_Useless….Killua doesn't need someone like you holding him back."_

A blaring pain suddenly ripped through my head, making me gasp and stumble back into a wall as my vision blurred.

"_Useless…someone like you…useless...USELESS."_

"Weak, useless little brat!"

I froze, eyes going wide as I suddenly found myself staring down the barrel of a gun, the cool steel pressing roughly into my forehead.

'_Is this real?'_

The gunman grinned inhumanly wide before his neck slowly ripped open and poured blood down his body like a gory waterfall.

"You can't do anything."

I shrieked, overcome with a maddening fear as I curled into a ball, the gunshot ringing in my ears loudly as I shook in a cold sweat. I breathed in choked, broken gasps as I struggled to rein in my sanity.

"What-" I gasped, gulping down precious air, "Wh-what the fu-uck…?"

I winced when my voice cracked and grit my teeth, pushing myself back onto my feet hurriedly when I heard a knock on the door.

"Wh-what?" I called to the person behind the door, scowling at myself when I failed to keep the tremble out of my voice.

"You okay?" The calm, almost disinterested, voice of Killua answered back. Though, I could still hear the slight twinge to his voice, the softer volume that let me known he was at least **slightly** genuinely worried.

I took a calming, slow breath through the nose before answering him, making sure not to give away the instinctual fear I still felt racing through my body like adrenaline.

"I'm fine."

There was a sudden still silence in the air, Killua not answering back. I could almost picture him staring through the door at me with a frown before I heard his footsteps slowly move away from the door.

I sighed and slumped back against the wall, running a hand through my hair a few times as I subconsciously reached down and pulled out a chocolate ball. I paused just as it reached my lips, staring down at it blankly as my stomach churned, before putting it back in the box.

I probably wouldn't eat for a while.

An image of Wing's arm flashed through my head and I groaned and gagged at the sight, I had really bitten deep. I scowled at myself again, wondering just **why** I had attacked Wing; sure his aura had been threatening but that gave me no real cause to attack him, but it had almost been like my body had acted on its own.

I sighed and thought back to the few times something like that had happened before; attacking someone, blacking out and not remember doing it but somehow just **knowing **it was me. It had only happened two other times in my life that I knew of; the first being when those group of mafia men had attacked Akallu, the second happening just before I had left Meteor City to take the Hunter Exam after a robber had broken into our house when Palm hadn't been home. I had heard him break in so I locked Akallu and I in our room, but he had started breaking down the door and I had only enough time to hide Akallu under the bed before he successfully broke it down. What had happened after that had been a bit of a blur, but I remember him pinning me down and trying to rape me. When I had come back to my senses he was lying underneath me, strangled to death.

I shuddered as I felt my skin crawl at the memory of the sleaze touching me, before I calmed myself down.

"Stop thinking about all that….you should go apologise to Wing."

I ran my hand through my hair to try to calm myself down some more but I continued to shake as I made my way back to Wing's living room.

It was awkwardly quiet when I walked in, all eyes turning to me and making me shrink down. Though Wing did greet me with a smile.

"Hello Kuragi, feeling better?"

I was taken aback by his calm and smiling demeanour, I had just **bitten **a chunk out of his arm, shouldn't he be mad at me?

I noticed his arm had been bandaged and put in a sling before I spoke.

"Yeah…" I avoided meeting his eyes, gaze locked onto his bandaged arm. "I'm-uh-sorry…for before."

Wing's smile only widened. "It's no problem; there's no need to apologise. You didn't mean to do it after all."

'_Wait…what..?' _My face scrunched up in confusion as I moved to stand beside Killua and Gon. _'Does he…know about my blackouts?'_

I felt Killua nudge me as Wing turned away from me to adjust the whiteboard. I turned to the albino with a raised eyebrow, questioning him silently as he gave me a calculated look and examined me up and down.

"What..?" I fidgeted uncomfortably as Killua continued to just search my body up and down with his eyes, looking for something, but what I didn't know.

Killua's piercing eyes snapped back up to mine and he frowned before simply saying, "You're telling me later." And turning away as Wing cleared his throat.

At first I was confused before it clicked and my eyes widened. I was going to have to tell him why I collapsed…

About the gunman…

Wing cleared his throat, this time louder, to get my attention before he smiled and gestured to himself. "So, as I was demonstrating before; that was Ren. If I temper my will enough, I can act."

Wing's eyes focused on me as he pushed up his glasses with a smile. "If your will is strong enough, you can make your opponent back down, without moving a muscle. That's where the concept of bluffing comes from." He turned and started gesturing at the board again. "Ren hardens that which is soft, and you lose the ability to correct an incorrect idea. Therefore, you should avoid using Ren until your soul has fully matured. Right now," Wing paused, his eyes sweeping over us. "All three of you boys, as well as Kuragi, should be training your souls."

Killua suddenly shifted beside me before making to leave. "Let's go, Gon, Kuragi."

"If you wish to learn about Nen," Wing cut in before Gon and I could even move and capturing Killua's attention. "You should focus on mastering Ten. If you master Ten, you will no longer feel the pressure of your opponent's will."

Killua remained quiet throughout his explanation but as soon as Wing was done talking Killua simply walked out the door, looking thoroughly unimpressed. Gon followed closely behind after thanking Wing, I went to leave as well but Wing stopped me at the door.

"Kuragi-chan."

I turned to him with a frown, still feeling bad about what I had done. "Yes, Wing-san?"

"Just Wing is fine." Wing suddenly frowned, cheerful expression falling away to something much more serious. "I would like to talk to you about what happened, if you have the time."

His sudden change in demeanour peaked my interest, so I turned to face him, giving him my full attention.

"You're a Katallus aren't you?"

I silently hoped he wouldn't bring up my father as I nodded my head. "I am, why?"

Wing's frowned deepened before he called over his shoulder for Zushi to go to his room, which the boy did eagerly.

Wing approached me slowly, raising his hand in a way that made the hairs on the back of my neck stand on end and a tingle shoot up my spine as my muscles went rigged. It was just like when I blacked out, it was the same feeling. I tried to back up, only to realize I was pinned between the door and the ever approaching Wing.

My skin prickled and heated up more and more the closer Wing got, until he was looming over me with a blank expression, his hand still raised above me. I could feel his Nen crawling across my skin as his hand came closer, not as strong as before but still threatening me.

I half expected to black out and attack him again, but just before his hand touched my head, my hand sprung like a snake and grabbed his wrist and twisted, forcing his hand down roughly and dragging him down with it.

It had all been out of instinct, I hadn't even thought about it.

Wing didn't even seem bothered by my grip on his hand and instead smiled like his usual self. "Ah, just as I had expected."

I scrunched up my face in frustration before letting his arm go and letting him back away, my skin still burning.

"What!? That I was going to attack you again!?" I growled at him, getting angry. Too much had happened to me today, him extorting something that frightened me was definitely the last straw.

"Calm down, Kuragi-chan." Wing spoke gently, backing away and giving me more space. "I was just confirming something before I jumped to a conclusion. I know what's wrong with you."

I hesitated, weighing whether or not I should trust him after what he had done. Not to mention I still felt that he was lying about Nen.

'_But what if he's not lying about this?' _ I thought to myself, frowning. _'What if this is my one chance to figure out what's wrong with me? What if it helps me fix it?'_

There were too many 'what-ifs' I could regret if I didn't listen to him.

I sighed, trying to relax myself as I looked up at Wing. "What's wrong with me?"

Wing's smile softened. "Absolutely nothing."

I reeled at his answer, not expecting it at all. "Wh-what?"

Wing backed away from me and walked over to the sofa, taking a seat and gesturing for me to do the same, before answering.

"There is absolutely nothing wrong, every time you do something like that it's always to defend yourself, and that is **absolutely normal**. At least for you."

"What?" His answer only made more questions. My face scrunched up as I sat down across from him with a frown. "What are you talking about?"

Wing's glasses flashed as he pushed them up yet again. "Kuragi, has no one taught you about your Nen?"

I frowned deeper and shook my head. "No….today was the first time I'd even heard of Nen."

Wing frowned, eyes narrowing in thought. "Hmmm, so your father or mother hasn't mentioned **anything **about **Instinct**?"

I raised a brow at his wording. "My parents…died when I was young, so no. What does instinct have to do with this?"

Wing's eyes widened in surprise and he sputtered. "Y-you really k-know **nothing?**"

"I said that didn't I!?" I snapped at Wing, losing my patience and getting frustrated; but I was also beginning to feel panicked. What was he getting at? What did he know that I didn't?

Wing frowned and pushed up his glasses as he leaned back in his seat. "Kuragi, I want you to listen carefully…."

A shiver went down my back from his suddenly cold tone and lack of suffix. I gulped and nodded, giving him my full attention.

"Your….Nen….is unlike any other. And with the death of your parents I can only assume you are the last person alive in this world who possesses it; unless you have siblings of course." I opted to not inform him of Palm and Akallu as he continued to speak. "Kuragi your family, the Katallus line, has been around for hundreds of years. Although, they originated as a tribe from some unknown and uncharted Island for the majority of that time. They were a very powerful people, with Nen so much different compared to the Nen we knew. Throughout the years, your ancestors were continuously tested over generations to learn more about their Nen. It was determined that each different family line had a different element to their Nen – though we won't go into detail about that yet – but there was always one prominent trait present in the Nen: instinct." Wing paused, allowing me a moment to digest all the information he had thrown at me.

I frowned, small mind whirling with all this new knowledge. My family must be famous if random people knew our history. But what stuck in my mind the most was his mention of elements and how different our Nen was. My brow frowned as I looked at him, licking my dry lips subconsciously before I spoke.

"So you were lying, about Nen I mean, it's something much different than what you had said it was." It was a solid statement, and I knew I was right when I saw Wing's eyes narrow as they shifted away from me for a moment before coming back.

"Ever the sharp ones, you Katallus are." Wing chuckled with a small, almost sentimental, smile.

I raised a brow at him. "Did you used to know a Katallus?" I hadn't meant to ask the question out loud but it was too late to take it back, besides I was curious.

Wing's smile faltered slightly before coming back more brightly as he pushed up his glasses. "In fact, I did, or still do I hope. I haven't heard from years but I still consider him an old friend. Muragi Katallus; I'd never forget that name."

I froze, mouth going dry and throat constricting as my heart began to hammer in my chest. "What-" I licked my lips and tried to force down the lump in my throat. "What did you just say…?"

Wing's expression twisted into concern as he noticed my distress, leaning forward in his seat tensely, almost like he was bracing for something. "Muragi. Kuragi…" He faltered briefly, obviously noting the similarities in our names. "Do you know him?"

I bolted up, sweating nervously. "I-I need to go, Killua and Gon are probably waiting for me." I stumbled as I made my way towards the door, Wing following after me.

"Kuragi-chan, wait! You have not let me explain your Nen!" Wing reached out to grab my hand but I pulled away.

I couldn't deal with this. Not right now.

"I know enough!" I called over my shoulder before taking off running out of the building, barely keeping from panicking.

Wing knew my dad, he considered him a friend. He didn't know he was dead. And I couldn't bare having to tell him, couldn't bare the questions he would have. The questions I couldn't answer.

Surprisingly, a little ways away from Wing's apartment, I spotted Gon and Killua waiting for me. Gon was laughing and playing with a cat he had obviously found wondering around the streets as Killua leaned against the wall beside him, hands shoved in his pockets and looking none too impressed.

Gon was the first to spot me, probably because the cat bolted away into the shadows when it felt me approaching. He leapt up with a smile, waving.

"Kuragi!"

I smiled and sent a weak, fleeting wave back as Killua turned with a scowl.

"What took you so long?" He huffed, obviously annoyed at having to stand out in the street for too long. "You took forever!"

I smiled sheepishly, shoulders slumping. Immediately deciding I shouldn't tell them any of what Wing told me. Wing was keeping the real Nen from them for a reason, but I was sure he would tell them eventually.

"Nothing…Wing just wanted to let me know he didn't hold what I…did…against me…That's all" I winced at the memory of his bandaged hand and subconsciously made a face.

Killua narrowed his eyes at me, obviously picking up the waver in my voice. And I had a feeling he knew it was because of the hidden lie, not the obvious half-truth I told.

"Anyway." He suddenly spoke up, turning on his heel as I jumped in surprise. "Let's get going, it getting late." He peeked at me from the corner of his eye as Gon and I followed closely. "And we have a lot to talk about."

I shrunk down at that, dread settling in my stomach at the impending conversation awaiting us at ever approaching Heavens Arena.

"Wing was lying." I flinched, at first thinking he was calling me out for not telling him, but I calmed down when I realized he was just pointing it out to us. "You picked up on it too, right Kuragi?"

I nodded, opting to stay silent encase something in my voice gave me away. Killua gave me another narrowed eyed look before turning away again.

"Ehhhh? He was lying?" Gon was still ever the clueless one as always.

"Yeah. The explanation made perfect sense, and Wing is clearly very strong." Killua elaborated, sounding a little resined. "But his story had holes."

"Eh?" Gon still didn't understand.

"Zushi's toughness." Killua explained. "He kept getting up after I knocked him down. I was getting irritated, so I used all of my strength during my last attack."

I winced, Gon making a surprised noise beside me. I just couldn't imagine how painful that would have been for poor Zushi. Honestly, I was really surprised he wasn't dead.

"Willpower didn't keep him standing. He's hiding some other secret." Killua finalized, tilting his head back absentmindedly as we continued to walk.

'_Is there anything Killua can't do? Smart, strong and good-looking? Wow.' _I blushed, snapping myself out of my thoughts and shoving my hands in my pockets. _'Now is not the time.'_

**HunterXxXxXHunter**

Killua and I wished Gon goodnight before he closed his door, the sound of him leaping onto his bed following almost immediately after. I would have chuckled if it wasn't for the tense air that surrounded Killua and I as soon as Gon was out of the picture.

I stiffly turned and began walking towards my own room, noting that Killua was following after me silently. I felt my previous dread coming back full force as I began to think about the conversation we were about to have.

"Do we have to do this now?" I spoke up, voice quiet and strained. I was hating how terrified I was right now. "Can't….can't we wait until tomorrow?"

'_Or, better yet, can we not do this ever?'_

"I mean, do we really have to this? Cause I really don't wanna do this, I've never told anyone about this and I'm pretty sure you'd be better off not kno-"

I jumped as Killua suddenly pulled me to a stop with a hand on my shoulder.

"Kuragi." Killua's voice was light and casual as always as he spoke my name. "I-Gon's worried about you. You have to at least tell one of us what happened back there to cause that kind of reaction. We don't want it happening again."

"_We don't want it happening again…"_

I sucked in a sharp breath, twisting my hands together and refusing to face Killua. That's right, they didn't want me doing that again, causing more problems and distracting them. I was probably just holding them back, and they didn't want that.

"_Kil' doesn't need someone like you holding him down."_

I shivered, hairs on the back of my neck standing on edge as I felt a familiar slimy presence behind me. My head pounded painfully and I winced before frowning and shoving away Illumi's voice. It was starting to really grate on my nerves.

"Okay…" I breathed out, relenting. "Okay…"

I continued to my room, Killua falling in step beside me, expression blank and his hands in his pockets again. The nervous feeling was still there but it had faded somewhat. Once we made it to my door, however, I broke out in a cold sweat and began to shake.

I fumbled with my key-card to open the door, dropping it with a swear. As I bent down and picked up the card, Killua's pale hand reached from beside me and grabbed my shaking hand, guiding it to the slot and running it through. Once that was done, and the door unlocked with a small beep, Killua pulled his hand away silently. I was ashamed at the heat that rose to my face as I stepped through the door, hands shaking still. When Killua stepped through he closed the door behind him, looking at me pointedly.

I sighed and sat down on my bed, staring down at my lap and taking a moment to compose myself before I looked back up at Killua, who was now waiting patiently in a chair near my bed.

I took a deep breath, my mouth, going dry before I spoke. "What do you want to know?"

"Why did you freak out and collapse?" Wasting no time, Killua replied instantly.

I looked away, fidgeting with my hair as a piece fell into my face. I was acutely aware of my surroundings and Killua's eyes pinned on me. Way too aware.

"I….before I start…please don't interrupt or ask anything until I'm done, okay?"

There was a small bit of shuffling from Killua's direction before he spoke. "Okay."

My shaking got worse as I quickly ran through ways to start in my head.

"First….I should explain. You know the 'slums' I said I lived in? Yeah…that was kinda a lie. I live in Meteor City." From his small audible intake of breath I could tell he knew my home. That saved some explaining. "You obviously know it's a shit hole, full of rats in all of the senses. Prostitutes, poverty, murder, everything bad crawls around in that city. **Everything.**"

I was getting worked up slightly, all my horrible and slimy memories coming to the front of my mind. But, true to his word, Killua sat quietly and didn't interrupt.

"No one's safe. Not even little kids, like my brother and I…" I shivered as the image of Akallu held captive wormed its way to the front of my mind. "There was this one time…that I left him alone. Just…just for a little bit but-" I took a deep breath, feeling the familiar burning crawling up my spine. I forced myself to calm down, all too aware of my Nen now that Wing had explained it to me. Speaking of which, I was starting to regret running away when I did. I should probably go back tomorrow and-

'_Focus, you're going off track and stalling. The longer you have to do this, the harder it's gonna get.'_

"It was enough for him to be taken. I was an idiot and didn't think anything would happen but I should have known better! I-I should have fucking known!" I was getting riled up again, but this time it was a more of a rage at myself. I could feel my eyes starting to sting with unshed tears and winced, quickly burying my face in my hands and roughly scrubbing them away. Now wasn't the time to be crying. "I found him, thank god I did, but….but **they **had him and they were threatening to hurt him. And, oh god, I just….I just panicked. At first I didn't know what to do. I didn't know how to get him out of there alive. I did manage to get them to hand him over to me and was almost, **almost **out of there. They…they get us through…ripped him right out of my hands and threatened to kill him."

I paused, taking a deep breath and running my hands roughly down my face as I peered up at Killua, who remained calm as he watched me carefully.

"I guess I just…snapped. I…" My voice shook and my throat tightening, the tears I had fought so hard to keep at bay finally poured down my face. "I killed them…I was only 8 years old and I killed so many of them….the bodies a-and the blood-god I was c-covered in it-"

I didn't notice when Killua moved, but I sure noticed when I was brought in for an awkward hug, my face pressed uncomfortably into his shoulder. But right then, in that moment, I didn't care. I didn't care that this was Killua, that he was hugging me or that he still hadn't said a word.

I was just glad I finally told someone, and that they didn't out right judge me.

After a while, once I had stopped crying and just sat there quietly, Killua pulled away slowly, keeping his hands firmly on my shoulders as he looked down at me.

"You'll never get over that….I know you won't. But I'm glad you at least have the courage to tell someone." Killua spoke casually, but I could hear the pity in his voice, see it in his eyes. But when it was coming from him it didn't annoy me, make me angry. It comforted me.

I scrubbed my face roughly, getting rid of the dry tears as I awkwardly broke eye contact with Killua, face flushing from a mixture of embarrassment and humiliation. "I…guess."

I frowned, brows frowning as a thought came to me. Killua was probably the only one who could really understand what I had been through, being an assassin. Maybe…just maybe his first 'job' had been just as traumatizing. But that was just a thought, I could have been way off.

Killua finally pulled away completely before standing, hands back in his pockets instantly. "Listen," He spoke in a more quiet tone than usual. "Don't tell Gon about…this. I don't think he needs to know."

I smiled almost bitterly as I stood as well, moving towards the door and opening it. "Wasn't planning on it."

Killua frowned as he watched me stand at the door before he sighed and stepped out.

"Um, before you go." I quickly caught his attention before he could go to his own room. "Take this and withdraw as much money as you can transfer, send it to them."

I shoved my Hunter License into his hand hurriedly, feeling guilty at having forgotten to send my siblings money before now. Killua simply nodded and pocketed the card.

"Uh…goodnight, Killua." I went to shut the door, only for his hand to shoot out and keep it from closing.

"Uhm, hey." Killua wasn't meeting my eyes as he shuffled his feet. "If you want, we can take a break after matches and go back to the candy story. Only if you want."

I smiled, glancing at the untouched bag of candy still sitting on my dresser. I was pretty sure Killua had noticed it, so I had feeling this was going to be interesting.

"Sure, grab me whenever you want to head out."

"Cool. Goodnight!" Killua grinned before closing the door for me and leaving me there.

My smile immediately fell away as I made my way back to my bed, sitting down and curling up into a ball. I had a feeling I wasn't going to get much sleep tonight.

**Aaaaand done! Any Questions? Wanna yell at me? Bring 'em on!**

**Fun Fact 1: Originally, Kuragi was gonna stay back and get a more detailed explanation about her Nen from Kurokoo. But I changed my mind last minute.**


	20. What's X Wrong X With X Me? - PART 1

**Okay, so, there's gonna be a shit ton of replies in this chapter so I'm gonna be doing a few up here than the rest at the end of the chapter, and I apologise if I miss your reviews.**

**Also, you guys are gonna scream at me cause a lot of shit (not really) about Kuragi's past is gonna go down, but not enough to paint a full picture. Have fun with that. Also….this is kinda filler/part 1 of a chapter cause I WILL be updating tomorrow. It's just too late for me to write one large chapter and I really want to update. That and Killua and Kuragi REALLY need to spend more time alone together.**

**.**

**RESPONSE TO **_**Guest**_**(AKA that one person who spam reviewed almost all my chapters):**

**Thanks, Path of Truth was actually originally going to be a path that shoved stuff from her past in her face, caused by a kind of gas, almost like the tunnel from the 1999 version. Glad you approve of this Path! **

**.**

**RESPONSE TO **_**RainCloud41:**_

**God, I am always amazed when someone takes their time to binge-read this. Always gives me a fuzzy feeling! Hm, to answer your question, no, however they do have two strong connection with certain groups *wiggles eyebrows suggestively*. Would the character you're refering to happen to be Ace? Because he reminds me of him too. **

**.**

**RESPONS TO **_**Melissa:**_

**Thanks, I love making my own covers! **

**And yes! I loved it!**

**.**

**RESPONSE TO **_**havanatitiana:**_

**Yeah, Kuragi got a bit too caught up in the moment to answer his question, this was her first time telling ANYONE this so she was having some emotional trouble. But you are right, Killua figured it out on his own, or at least came up with a close enough answer. **

**.**

**RESPONSE TO **_**Guest:**_

**My lord, never stay up that late for one of my stories, they aren't that great! XD but either way, thank you. Oh, you'll probably be surprised when it comes to her nen, just know that it has nothing to do with her speed. And that's a good idea, I've kinda tried to do that with a little drabble thing I've uploaded that isn't connected to this story directly but still relates to Stand Alone.**

**RESPONSE TO **_**sxglow:**_

**Thanks for the critique! I'll keep it in mind!**

**She'll get stronger, trust me, just takes time. And also, yes, she should have taken a knife. In fact she was going to but Palm kinda….confiscated it. Heh.**

**.**

**The rest will be answered bellow! Onto chapter 20!**

**I Do Not Own Hunter X Hunter**

**.**

_/20/ What's X Wrong X With X Me [P1]_

There was a sharp knock on my door that broke me out of the sleep deprived daze I had fallen into sometime past 2am. I yelped and jolted, falling out of the bed when my foot caught of the bedspread. I growled into the carpet when the knock came again, more urgent this time.

"Hold your fuckin' horses." I snarled as I shoved myself up and fixed the door with an agitated glare. I really hadn't gotten any sleep, not even 2 hours, before nightmares had woken me up.

Today was not going to be fun for anyone who had a match with me.

I ripped the door open and almost snarled when I saw it was just Killua, but his expression stopped the feral sound in my throat. His hand was poised to knock again and his face was scrunched up in a frown, worry **very **evident in his eyes, though the look quickly turned into relief as he let out a sigh and slumped with his hand falling back to his side.

"Do you **know **how long I've been knock-" He paused in the middle of his little scolding as his eyes searched my face and the worried frown appeared again. "Did you get any sleep?"

I blinked at his uncharacteristically quiet tone and rolled my stiff neck. Of course he noticed my lack of sleep; I probably looked like shit from tossing and turning in bed for hours on end. I sighed and stretched my arms and back, practically moaning from the pleasant little pops my joints gave.

"Not enough to be considered rested, nope." I breathed in reply as I slumped over, running a hand through my knotted hair. I blushed when I caught sight of Killua staring at where my shirt had ridden up when I stretched. "Hey, e-eyes up here."

Killua's eyes immediately snapped up to mine and I couldn't help but noticed his cheeks looking more 'rosy' then usual. "Be ready in 10 because matches are starting. I'm not waiting for you." And with that he stalked off.

I huffed, slumping even more as I watched him go with tired eyes, I honestly didn't even have enough energy to be embarrassed about what just happened. I closed the door and walked into the bathroom attached to my room, shedding my over shirt as I went. Time for the quickest shower known to man.

**HunterXxXxXHunter**

"Kuragi~!"

"Gon, please I'm not in moo-GON!"

I groaned as I was knocked to the floor by a green blur, not having the energy to care let alone stop the overexcited boy from bowling me over. Gon grinned at me before hoping up, practically bouncing with energy.

"So? How did your matches go!?" Gon chirped as he helped me up when I held out my hand.

I groaned and slouched into him, resting my forehead on his shoulder. "Carry me…" was my whimpered response. "Please…"

I already had bruises forming from all the hits I hadn't seen coming in my tired daze, not to mention a bloody nose from my most recent fight, which was still slightly bleeding.

"Okay!" was the loud reply I got before Gon spun around and lifted me onto his back, arms hooking under my thighs to keep me up.

"Shhhh…" I whined, weakly smooshing my hand into the estimated area of his mouth as I slouched back into his shoulder, wincing slightly when I noticed his B.O. "You're too happy."

"Sorry." Gon replied, his voice dramatically lowered. "Killua said you didn't get any sleep last night, I didn't think you'd be this bad. Do you want to take a nap?"

"Mph." Came my muffled reply from his shoulder. "Wherews Kewua?"

"What?"

"Where's Killua?" I moaned, resting my chin on his shoulder. I needed someone quiet to hang around with right now, I really didn't have the energy to deal with Gon's chirpy nature.

"Oh, he's still in a match, he should be here soon." Gon began walking to the nearest receptionist, probably to collect our rewards, earning us weird looks from passers-by. "Do you want a soda? It might wake you up."

Bless your sweet soul, Gon.

"Sure, honestly I'd even drink coffee right now just to stay awake." My nose reflexively scrunched up as I remembered the bitter drink. "And I fuckin' **hate **coffee."

Gon gave me a look from the corner of his eye and opened his mouth to say something but I cut him off. "Don't you start, I am tired and angry, I can swear if I fucking want."

Gon closed his mouth, still frowning but not saying anything as we finally made it the receptionist and collected our money. Gon shifted his weight so he was holding me with one hand while he held the envelopes of money between his teeth and slid some coins into a nearby vending machine.

"What do you want?" He said slowly, obviously trying to say it as clearly as he could with paper shoved in his mouth.

I quickly scanned the drinks, stopping on one that made my eyes gleam. "Cherry Cola."

Gon punched in the code for it, cracking open the can with one hand before handing it to me and taking the envelopes out of his mouth with a sigh. "Please don't spill any on me, Kuragi…"

I pouted at him. "I do what I want, shuddup."

I did take extra care not to spill any when I took a sip though, immediately sighing when I took a huge gulp. "Oh yeah, that's the stuff. You would not believe how hard it is to find Cherry Cola where I live. I've had it like once and this shit already has me hooked." To emphasise my point I took another swig, finishing the can and hurling it in the bin next to us.

I pleadingly grouped at the air between me and the vending machine. "More."

Gon laughed at my behaviour and shoved the envelopes back in his mouth, taking out some more change and getting another can. He cracked it and reached back to hand it to me, only for it to be snatched out of his hand by a smirking Killua.

"Well, look who's up." Killua gave me pointed smirk before chugging the can and hurling it over Gon and I and into the bin.

"You bitchface…" I sighed at Killua before slumping into Gon and burying my face back in Gon's shoulder. I slowly flipped Killua the bird when he laughed, only making him laugh louder.

"Yo, Gon, why are you carrying her anyway? Did she break a leg?" Killua asked, making me raise a brow at his tone. Was that a hint of jealousy I detected?

I felt Gon shrug. "She's just really tired, I don't think she should have fought today."

I exhaled through my teeth and ripped myself away from Gon, dropping to the floor behind him. "Ay, no. I am not letting you guys get ahead of me. And don't talk about me like I'm not right fucking here!"

Gon glanced at me with a sheepish smile. "Sorry."

"You're forgiven, it just annoys me when people do that. Anyway-" I snapped my eyes over to Killua who was subtly giving me a once over, wincing whenever he came to a bruise. "You, me, talk, now."

I briskly walked past Gon, grabbing Killua by the sleeve and pulling him with me until we rounded the corner. I spun around, glaring at an indifferent Killua before sighing and slumping against him, immediately I felt Killua tense.

"Help, save me from Gon. He's too happy, I can't deal with it." I whined, burying my face in his shoulder much like I had down with Gon. I couldn't help but notice he smelled like dark chocolate and fabric softener, which unconsciously made me bury my nose deeper into his shoulder.

I felt, more than heard the chuckle from deep within Killua's chest.

"Really? That's all you wanted to say? Geeze, you're so pathetic when you're tired…" Killua trailed off, muttering something as his laughter died. "It…o…ute…"

"Huh…?" I pulled away from him, face scrunched up in confusion. "I didn't hear you."

Killua smirked down at me and ruffled my hair, making me reflexively close my eyes in bliss. I was too tired to swat his hand away like I usually do when someone plays with my hair and makes me feel nice.

"I said; do you want to go for that walk to the candy store now, or save it until later?"

I hummed as his hand untangled from my hair, eyes still closed. "Sure…Just…maybe not to the candy store. I'm actually not in the mood for sweets for once."

Killua scoffed. "Oh really? Fine then, what do you want to do?"

I shrugged, slumping back against the wall. "I don't know, I don't know this place remember, what is there to do?"

"Well, if I remember right there's a small fair somewhere in the south side."

My eyes immediately snapped open and I stared up at Killua. "Ex-fucking-cuse me? Take me there right now."

I saw Killua smirk before I was suddenly thrown over his shoulder. "Your wish is my command." Came his sarcastic reply before he took off out of Heavens Arena.

"Holy shit…." I breathed, staring around at all the stalls and rides that littered the streets. "You call this a small fair? Get the fuck out."

I heard Killua laugh from behind me, he had just set me down after carrying me the whole way here (I had a felling he just did it to annoy me) and I was already floored by the sight I had only every seen in old magazines.

"It is small, one of the smallest in the country actually."

I glanced at Killua as he came up beside me with the biggest grin on my face. "Please, please remind me to take Akallu here when I get the chance. He would love this."

Killua shrugged. "Sure, whatever. Now, want to go in or not? I'm not waiting for you forever." He walked off into the park without a second of hesitation, leaving me alone for a moment before I quickly caught up.

"Hey! Fuck you, don't just leave me alone!" I hissed at him, automatically grabbing his hand so he wouldn't run off again.

"What, you scared of getting lost all alone?" Killua teased, nudging my shoulder with a smirk.

I stuttered, faltering in my walking and looking away when I felt sudden shame creep into my stomach.

Yes…yes I was. I didn't know this place, I could so easily get lost and wouldn't be able to find my way around. I wouldn't even be able to ask for directions, I hated talking to anyone I didn't already know who were older than me, I've had enough bad experiences with condescending assholes in Meteor City when I was first learning my way around.

That was what I wanted to say to him, explain how…**afraid** I was of this city without him or Gon with me. But I chose not to, I had already spilled one weakness to him, I didn't want to start fucking up what he thought about me even more.

I felt a sudden squeeze on my hand and I whipped around to face him, panicking that he was going to let go and that I was going to lose him in the crowd, but instead I was met with him giving me a knowing look before his face broke out into a, barely contained, evil grin.

"Do you know what a rollercoaster is?"

**HunterXxXxXHunter**

"One more ride left." Killua stated as we hopped out of the car. We had just ridden the Ferris Wheel to get a better look at the park and, on my end, stay far away from the windows in the car. I strongly disliked heights, they made me feel ill sometimes.

"What? No." I whined, finally feeling at least slightly awake from all the adrenaline I had gotten from riding the rollercoaster. "It better be a good one or so help me I will punch you."

Killua shrugged. "Go ahead and try, coming from you I bet it wouldn't even hurt." He stated casually, shoving his hands in his pocket as he easily pushed through the crowds.

I sent the back of his head a glare, feeling a familiar burning in my gut as I bristled with anger. He just called me weak….again!

"_Is that a challenge I hear?"_

I froze, feeling the colour drain from my face when I realized what was happening.

'_No.'_

"Kuragi."

I blinked, lurching back in surprise when I came face to face with Killua, who was shoving at my shoulders and trying to pry my hands from him neck.

Oh god.

**OH GOD.**

I was straddling Killua, pinning him to the pavement bellow us by his neck, finger wrapped around tightly. I immediately let go and leapt up, panting heavily as I began to shake.

I blacked out.

I attacked Killua.

Oh god.

I hadn't even had a reason to, **why did I do that!?**

I stared down at Killua, swallowing thickly as I began to tear up. "I-I'm sorry, I…I don't…"

I buried my face in my hands, forcing myself to breath and stop from crying, that wouldn't help the situation. I scrubbed the tears away and looked back down at Killua as he sat up with an odd look on his face.

"Are you okay?" I mumbled weakly, suddenly feeling much more tired than I had before.

"Fine." Killua huffed as he pushed himself up and onto his feet before looking around and grabbling my wrist. "Do you want to leave?"

I swallowed and looked down at his hand holding my wrist before looking at his neck where I could see faint bruises already forming on his pale skin then around me. There were a few people who had stop to stare at me, obviously seeing what I had done when blacked out, which made me slouch and try to make myself look as small as possible.

"Yes please." I replied quietly, immediately getting pulled along through the crowd at a brisk pace.

As soon as we were clear of the crowd and around a corner Killua spun me around and pulled me close to him, grabbing my face in his cold hands and forcing my face towards his. There was a tense silence as Killua's eyes roamed all around my face, looking for something as I stared at Killua, wide-eyed and still shaking from the aftermath of my blackout. All I could hear was my panicked heart and Killua's faster than normal breaths.

"Are you…okay?" Killua's question was slow and deliberate, like he was choosing his words very carefully or he didn't know what to say. His hands moving to adjust themselves slightly, but otherwise not moving from my cheeks.

I took a deep breath and closed my eyes, licking my suddenly dry lips.

Was I okay?

I had just attacked one of my friends, the only one who knew something personal about me and potentially understood my pain, I had **hurt **him I had-

"Stop. Stop thinking about it." My eyes snapped open at his stern tone and jumped when I saw his face had gotten closer and he was glaring at me. "Stop. It. Now, are **you **okay? Do you need to sit down?"

My throat tightened and I stifled I sob as I squeezed my eyes shut, really beginning to feel the mental and physical exhaustion from lack of sleep. "No." I wheezed. "I just want to go home."

Whether I meant Heavens Arena, Meteor City, or just wherever Palm and Akallu were I had no idea. I was too tired to think about it anyway.

"Please, just take me home. I can't handle this right now." I whimpered, not even putting up a fight when Killua pulled away and turned around.

I had been expecting him to leave as soon as I had realized I had blacked out on him, the fact that he was choosing to leave now didn't really surprise me, but that didn't stop it from making my heart hurt. Honestly, all I needed right now was a hug and maybe Palm.

Definitely Palm.

"Come on." I jolted when I heard Killua's gentle tone, surprised to see he was crouched down with his back to me and his arms behind him. "You want to go back, right?"

I cautiously climbed onto his back, almost afraid to wrap my arms around his neck because of what happened, but as Killua stood he jolted me slightly to get a better grip on my thighs which made me panic and instinctively grip onto him. I sucked in a panicked breath, half expecting him to drop me when I brushed his neck, but all that happened was that he began walking. Not saying a word. It only took a few moments of that silence before I broke down silently sobbing into his shoulder.

"I'm sorry." I whimpered pitifully, clutching his shirt tighter. "I'm so sorry, I hurt you."

There wasn't any reply from Killua so I just kept on blubbering in a croaky voice.

"I didn't mean to, I don't know what happened it just happened. Oh god, what's wrong with me, why do I always do that? Why did I hurt you? Oh god I'm a Monster, I hate myself. I'm so fucked up. **What's wrong with me?**"

"You're not."

I jumper and sniffled as Killua spoke. "W-what?"

"You're not…a monster." Killua's tone was strained and I could just see that his face was scrunched up in a sort of scowl. "You're not fucked up. Shut up about it."

"But I-"

"Just stop talking!" Killua hissed, voice dangerously low.

I knew when to recognize when someone was angry with me, so I immediately shut up, not even daring to sniffle as I buried my face in his shoulder again.

Everything was quiet again as Killua continued back towards Heavens Arena, his back swaying slightly as with every step he took. I closed my eyes and tightened my hold more, taking a deep breath to calm myself down completely.

'_I'm sorry.'_

_Fire, fire everywhere. It was tearing apart the forest and our home. It was going to burn everything to the ground! No! Someone has to stop it!_

"_Mommy! Daddy!" My voice was hoarse from screaming, and I shook in fear that rattled me to the bone. Where were they? They said they'd catch up! Where were they?_

_There was a baby's cry close by but I couldn't see the source, the forest was too dark. The cry was quickly hushed by a soft and gentle voice._

"_Kuragi, come on we….we have to leave! Mum and dad will be here soon! Just come one!"_

_Someone grabbed my small wrist and began pulling me along but I screamed and squirmed, trying to break free. _

"_But Mommy-!"_

_A shrill, agonized scream cut through the air before there was silence again. That scream, it came from back at the house._

"_Mommy!" I screamed, fighting even harder against the hand holding me. "Mommy no! Stop hurting her! Save mommy! Daddy!"_

"_Kuragi shush! They'll find us! We have to run, __**now!**__" The voice from before was distinctly feminine and more strained, like it was trying not to cry. _

"_But-"_

_Suddenly something whipped by and imbedded itself in a tree next to my head._

"_RUN!" I was suddenly ripped forward as the terror from before returned full force and stopped me from fighting. "Don't stop! Run!"_

_I was pulled left and right as we ran through the forest, barely being guided by the teenager pulling me along with one hand, while the other cradled a baby._

_Suddenly there was a roar that shook my nerves and made something bright and fiery spark deep in my stomach._

"_SILVA!"_

"_Daddy." I whimpered._

I lurched forward, flailing wildly for a moment until my eyes adjusted to the dark and I realised I was in my room back in the Heavens Arena. I groaned and held my pounding head, palm slick with a cold sweat as I calmed myself down. I took a deep breath and looked to my dresser, were the digital clock sat and groaned when I saw the time.

12:36pm

It was then the events of the day came back to me and I groaned louder, slumping back against my pillow.

"**Fuck.**"

**Aaaaaand scene! Keep in mind this is only part 1 and I WILL be updating tomorrow! Though that doesn't mean you can get away with not reviewing. I need to know your thoughts!**

**Now, for the rest of the review replies.**

**.**

**RESPONSE TO **_**Xhunterxhunterx:**_

**Well, can't wait to see your reaction to this chapter then!**

**.**

**RESPONSE TO **_**Onesmartcookie78:**_

**True, honestly I might just go back and edit her fight with Berkinz, make it longer and more daunting cause of that, honestly, I never meant for it to be a cheap copy of Gon's win. That just makes me feel bad….**


	21. What's X Wrong X With X Me? - PART 2

**PLEASE BE AWARE THAT THE PREVIOUS CHAPTER 20 (the notice) HAS BEEN REPLACED WITH AN ACTUAL CHAPTER. IF YOU HAVE NOT READ IT PLEASE GO BACK AND DO SO. **

**.**

**RESPONSE TO **_**KagamineBanana:**_

**No, I refuse to take away my gold star. Enjoy this almost as equally frustrating chapter!**

**.**

**RESPONSE TO **_**Blacky The Black:**_

**Ayyy, sorry for keeping you waiting! Just been busy with school and shit. And thank you, this really is a huge milestone for me! I never thought I'd make it to chapter 20, I thought I would lose interest in SA before I even got close to chapter 20. Hope this chapter is satisfying!**

**.**

**I Don't Own HunterXHunter**

_/21/ What's X Wrong X With X Me? [P2]_

"Yay! We made it!" Gon cheered as the doors to the 200th floor's elevator opened. "200th floor!"

I grinned at Gon's excitement, the boy was practically vibrating with energy. While Killua on the other hand was silently staring into space, his hands shoved in his pockets. He hadn't spoken a word to me all day and it was making my stomach twist to the point I almost felt like vomiting.

'_He's obviously bothered by yesterday, I attacked him. It's only reasonable he hates me now…'_

I fidgeted with my skirt and my smile dropped as my eyes fell to my ratty old shoes. I felt the twist in my stomach again and I quickly sucked in a breath through my teeth. Now was not the time.

"Kuragi?" I snapped my head up and noticed Gon and Killua had entered the elevator and were waiting for me; Killua indifferent as ever but Gon frowning slightly. "Are you okay? Are you still tired?"

I smiled at Gon's concern, being reminded of Palm and Akallu yet again, and shrugged. "Nah…I'm just spacing out. Can't wait to see this famous 200th floor." I narrowed my eyes at Killua as I stepped onto the elevator with a smirk. "It better be as good as it sounded, Killua."

Killua glanced at me before shrugging and looking away.

I frowned and the air around us grew thick and silent again as the elevator doors closed with a quiet _ding_. Killua really didn't want to talk to me today. I fingered the chocolate balls that still sat in my skirt pocket before taking one out and eating it quietly, not even candy helped settle my quivering insides.

"So." Gon spoke up, back to his happy demeanour as he peaked around me to Killua, "What **is **the 200th floor like?"

"Beats me." Killua shrugged, watching the floors tick by above the door. "I've never been up there before."

Gon grinned, bouncing with excitement. "Then it's a surprise! That makes it even better!"

I grinned, feeling the heavy pit in my stomach lighten at just hearing Killua talk, and with my sudden mood shift came the overwhelming need to tease Killua like normal. I snickered and knocked Killua's shoulder as I sent him an evil stare.

"Oh really~? The great and mighty Killua Zoldyck never made it past the 190s? Looks like **I'm **better than the best, ha ha ha!" I puffed out my chest and waved my hand snootily as I laughed over exaggeratedly.

I saw Killua send me a glare before he pouted. "Yeah, you just keep telling yourself that, Kuragi." His pout narrowed into a smirk, "Whatever helps you sleep at night."

I rolled my eyes at his lame comeback and pulled him into a headlock, quickly noogying him before he could escape. "Oh, shut it you big angry marshmallow!"

"Hey!" Killua yanked himself away from me, tenderly rubbing his head as a soft flush came to his checks. "Don't do that! A-and don't call me a marshmallow, you…you stupid cherry!"

I twitched at his nickname, struggling to hold in my laughter as my mouth twitched between a smile and a frown. "I'm sorry…what?"

Killua glared, face getting redder. "Just shut up you idiot!"

Killua's flustered tone was what tipped me over the edge and I doubled over laughing, clutching my stomach as I slapped my knee. I could barely breathe in-between bouts of laughter, face going red.

"Hah! See? You are a stupid cherry!"

"Stop! Stop, you're killing me!" I wheezed, laughing so hard I was snorting. "Oh my god! AHAHAHA!"

The elevator dinged and the doors opened, making Gon squeal in delight and bolt out of there. "We're here!"

I continued to giggle as I stumbled after Gon, trying to calm down so my first impression to the people on this floor wasn't that I was a giggly little girl. That'd just piss me off. However, if I had waited just a little longer for Killua to go first, or if I was to look back right then maybe I would have caught the small, gentle smile he was giving me; not at all perturbed at the fact I was laughing at him.

"Wow! The 200th floor is so fancy!"

Gon's marvelling made me snap to attention, my giggles dying down completely as I glanced around the place, even the hall looked a hell of a lot more fancier then the rest of the place and that was saying something. I let out a low whistle as I looked at the maroon and gold décor. This was my kind of place.

"Where's the receptionist?" Killua muttered to himself as he stepped out of the elevator and looked around before he spotted a sign that answered his question. He called to Gon and I before he began walking to the right "This way."

Gon and I followed closely behind, Gon practically skipping next to me as Killua lead the way.

"We finally made it." Gon sighed happily, sending me a look that made me grin widely.

"Heck yeah we did!" I offered Gon my fist and he eagerly pounded his to mine, bouncing.

"The receptionist should just be around this corner." Killua warned as he slowed down to keep pace with us.

I turned to glance at said corner and as soon as I did I felt a prickle go up my spine and raise the hair on the back of my neck. As we rounded the corner it only got worse, all of us stopping in our tracks at the very visible wall of dark intent that greeted us.

We all stood frozen, staring at the hallway like it was going to come alive an eat us, it certainly felt that way.

"_Danger…" _

I cautiously stepped in front of the two boys, putting myself between them and the danger the small voice in the back of my head had warned me about.

"_Protect."_

I let out a shaky breath, feeling the familiar burning tingle beginning to stir in my gut, breaking out into a cold sweat.

"Let's go. We can do this!" Killua hissed, urging Gon and himself forward.

"_**Protect."**_

As the boys stepped forward the malicious feeling intensified and engulfed us, making me automatically whip my arms out on either side of me, shoving the boys back while simultaneously gripping the front of their shirts so they couldn't move.

"No." I ground out through clenched teeth. The edges of my vison were starting to fade. "**Not. Safe.**"

"This is murderous intent," Gon breathed, perfectly content to stay where I had stopped him. "Aimed at us."

I began to tremble as the burning feeling spread through my veins, trailing an uncomfortably hot bath through my body. My vision faded more and I began to breathe heavily, bordering on hyperventilation. Suddenly, a hand gripped mine and gave it a squeeze, at first I thought it was Gon before I heard Killua mutter under his breath.

"Breathe. Control it."

I clenched my fist around his and closed my eyes, taking deep breath to calm myself down. It worked slightly, so I continued to take slow and deep breaths as I tried to shove away the malicious intent that surrounded me almost like a blanket. It was obviously something to do with Nen, and whoever was causing it was going to get punched in the face.

I was slowly starting to calms down, the burning feeling retreating back to my core.

Killua obviously felt me relaxing so he untangled my hand from his shirt and dropped it, stepping up beside me slowly before placing a hand on my shoulder.

"Hey!" He snapped, obviously perturbed by the relentless aura that surrounded us. "Who's there? Show yourself!"

Suddenly a woman rounded the corner and we all tensed, but the tension almost immediately fell away when we realised it was only a member of the staff. The aura had retreated as well.

The staff member smiled at us politely before she spoke. "Killua-sama, Gon-sama and Katallus-sama, correct?"

I didn't have the attention to care that someone had yet again identified me by my heritage because the hairs on my neck were still standing and the fire was still in my stomach. I had an instinctual feeling the danger was still present.

"The receptionist's desk is over here," The staff member gestured to the corridor to our right. "so please register for a 200s match today. You won't be able to register after midnight, so please be quick."

"Was she the source of all that?" Gon whispered from behind us, neither of the boys had yet to let their guards truly down either.

"I can't tell…" Killua whispered back while keeping his eyes trained on the woman in front of us.

"By the way," The staff member spoke up again, still smiling. "There are currently 173 contestants in the 200s class. And starting from the 200, all weapons are allowed in matches. So please use whatever you have."

I flinch as she raised her hands in a subconscious gesture, still on edge. The fire in my stomach was spreading again, making me even more paranoid. Something deep down knew something was wrong. I wasn't letting my guard down until it was completely gone.

"You will no longer receive any prize money in the 200s class either. You will fight only for glory, so please understand-"

I blocked her voice out as my eyes narrowed in on sudden appearance of a small thread of light next to the staff member's head that she seemed to be unaware of. The fire in my stomach flared and my vison tinged red as I snarled in warning just before a card materialized and flung forward towards my eyes.

Reflexed took over and I knocked the card away, causing it to slice into my hand before it imbedded itself in the wall. That wasn't an ordinary card, and who the hell used cards anyway-

"Hisoka." I hissed out, glaring at the clown that startled the staff member from behind, causing her to flee from him. I snarled and lunged for him only to be ripped back by my collar and pulled against Killua's chest before he wrapped his arms around me, pinning my arms to my sided in an iron grip that I couldn't fight.

"Why are you here?" Killua ground out, his grip on me tightening for a moment as the clown turned to face us with a smirk.

Hisoka's smirk grew wider as his eyes flickered over us, lingering only slightly longer on Gon and I. "It's hardly that strange. I love to fight, and this is a temple of fighting. And why-" His eyes flickered to the card in the wall then to me as his smirk widened even more. "Are **you **here?"

I hissed at him, vision tunnelling as I strained to break free of Killua, only to have his hold tighten to a painful constriction.

"Just kidding…" Hisoka said in an almost playful way. "This was no coincidence. I've been waiting for you. Remember how you ordered airship tickets of the cybernet? With a little effort, it's possible to determine where and when someone will arrive. Well, I knew you would come here eventually. And so, as a veteran, I have a warning for you."

Hisoka's eyes narrowed on me as the boys on either side of me tensed. "It's still too early for you boys to step on this floor." His hand raised and I snarled loudly, ripping free of Killua's grasp just as forceful aura from before ripped forward and knocked the boys back. "However, I can't say the same for you, little dragon."

I growled and lunged towards Hisoka just as I lost myself.

**HunterXxXxXHunter**

"Now...if you would please let Kuragi-chan go. We will take our leave."

I groaned as I slowly became conscious, whole body feeling strained and tired. "What…"

"Kuragi!"

I shook my head and quickly focused on what was in front of me when I realized Killua had called my name, not at all sounding happy and sounding downright enraged. Gon, Killua, the staff woman and…Wing? Stood in front of me, all of their eyes trained on me as I slowly came to.

"What…where's Hisoka…?"

It was then that I felt a deep chuckle rumble against my back and I froze, blood running cold.

"Back to your senses, little dragon?"

I immediately struggled to distance myself from Hisoka once I realized I was seated in his lap, my wrists pinned above me by one of his hands while his other absentmindedly twirled a card between his fingers.

I growled and got to my feet, trying to pull my wrists from his grip but all I managed to do was make him smirk in amusement at my fruitless effort. I was already sweating from the effort to free myself, limbs aching in protest. Suddenly, Hisoka released my wrists with a small hum and I was sent falling back against Killua's legs, which a joyously pressed back against. I still wasn't far enough from the clown for my liking.

"Ah, glad to see you have calmed down Kuragi-chan, now would you boys come with me?"

I glanced back at Wing as he spoke, feeling the confusion I always felt when I had blacked out and missed events. I was suddenly yanked up none-too-gently by the arm and spun to face Killua who quickly gave me a once over before audibly grinding his teeth and shoving me behind him.

Gon turned to the staff member and asked her a question, but my mind was still too busy trying to catch up to pay attention to him. Instead, I focused on Killua's back to avoid looking at Hisoka who undoubtedly still sat against the wall with an amused smirk.

"What happened?" I whispered to Killua, gently taking hold of his hand. I needed some sort of comfort right now, I was starting to feel nauseated by the fact I had blacked out again.

Killua glanced at me from the corner of his eye before sighing and turning to face me, but not enough that he had his back to Hisoka, before replying. "You lost it and attacked Hisoka, actually got a good swing in."

I peaked at Hisoka in surprise when Killua said that, just now noticing the small trickle of blood dripping from the Clown's nose. Hisoka caught my gaze and licked the blood off of his top lip with a smirk.

"To be honest," Killua continued, forcing my face to turn back to him. "I'm surprised by the fact you aren't just pieces on the floor right now, all he did was pin you and laugh." Killua sneered and sent Hisoka a look before continuing. "I still felt like killing him for even thinking about hurting yo- f-for what he did."

I nodded, not even caring about his sudden cover up. "Okay…at least he didn't try anything…too bad." I glanced back at Wing who was watching us all with a smile, frowning when I noticed his arm was in a sling. "When did Wing get here?"

Killua shrugged and stepped away from me slightly as he shoved his hand in his pocket, surprisingly keeping hold of mine with the other. That I was grateful for. "Almost right after you attacked Hisoka, he's going to teach us about Nen." I opened my mouth to point out that he had already done that, kind of, but Killua saw this and continued. "He isn't going to lie to us this time, he said so. And I believe him because apparently what Hisoka did before, that almost physical form of malice, was Nen."

I rolled my jaw and frowned at that. "I had a feeling that had been Nen…so, are we going with Wing now or what?"

As if overhearing our conversation, Gon spoke up. "Hey, Wing-san. If we go with you now will we be able to learn Nen before midnight? If we don't enter before then Kuragi and I will have to start again and Killua will be disqualified."

I felt Killua give my hand a slight involuntary squeeze at Gon's words. I glanced at Killua with a frown, like hell any of us were going to let Killua get disqualified.

Wing hummed quietly, expression stern. "That…depends on you three."

I swallowed thickly, feeling the anxiety crawling through skin as I glanced at the clock. We had three and a half hours to learn something completely new.

"Oh boy."

The trip to Wing's house only took 11 minutes but still, with every minute that ticked by, I began to get more and more nervous. I glanced up at Killua, who was focused on Wing, in worry. He still hadn't pulled his hand from mine.

"Simply put, this is Nen."

I turned to Wing as he walked over to a vase in the corner before removing the flowers and taking them with him to where he originally stood beside us. I raised a brow, confused, until he held a flower up and it suddenly stiffened and straightened. Before I could open my mouth and question what he had done Wing raised his hand and tossed the flower, almost like a dart, and it imbedded itself into the glass vase, making a small trickle of water drip down.

I shut my mouth, eyes going wide as Gon gasped and Killua's grip on my hand flexed. **That **was different.

Wing sent us a look before quickly firing off the other flowers in a similar fashion. He dusted his hands as he turned to us and gestured to the whiteboard behind us. "Nen refers to the ability to manipulate your aura, also known as life energy."

I glanced at the board, taking note it had a whole different Nen chart on it now. He had probably cleared the board once we had left last time and began teaching Zushi the real thing.

"Every person possesses a small amount of life energy." I saw Wing glance at me quickly with a hard expression and I quickly looked away, feeling my stomach churn. "But in **most **cases, it is simply discharged."

I flinched as he turned and brushed past us to the board. 'Most cases' I had a feeling I wasn't apart of those 'most cases'.

"The ability to build up a shroud of life energy is known as Ten." Wing picked up a marker and tapped the board bellow the symbol that read 'Ten.' "You can make your body harder, and considerably slow the effects of aging." Wing uncapped the marker and began to write more Hiragana. "Then comes Zetsu. As you may guess, this nullifies your aura. It is effective for concealing your presence, and recovering from extreme fatigue." Wing capped the pen and turned to us with a small smile at us, probably from Gon's overexcited expression. "Which brings us to Ren. A technique to create an especially strong aura."

I flinched when a flow of aura surrounded Wing, half expecting to blackout. But, surprisingly, I didn't feel any familiar fire. Nothing. However, that still didn't help me relax until the aura faded.

"Did you feel that?" Wing smiled, eyes lingering on me. "Or in Kuragi's case, see that?" I nodded, gripping Killua's hand tighter.

Probably felling my discomfort, Killua spoke up. "Yeah, I can feel the pressure."

"But it doesn't feel dangerous." Gon chimed in.

"That's because" Wing's eyes flickered to me again. "I have no hostile intent. If I had, I doubt I would still be standing here with Kuragi so close."

Wing chuckled quietly but I only flinched and lowered my head when I felt my face flush with shame. He was right.

I felt Killua nudge my shoulder with his and I peeked through my hair at him. He gave me a crooked smile as he released my hand before shoving me by the shoulder.

"You're an idiot." He snickered, making me bristle.

"Excuse me? Say that to my face!"

"I just did, idiot!" Killua smirked. "Or are you deaf now too?"

I growled and bristled more, sending him a glare. "Why you sonova-" I went to lunge at him only to be stopped by Wing clearing his throat.

I shrunk in on myself slightly, blushing in embarrassment. What a good impression I was making on Wing huh? 'Angry little girl'…nice.

I stood next to Killua again, knocking him slightly with a grin. I needed to get some sort of payback, I'd get him better later.

"Aura," Wing continued, eyeing Killua and I. "is an energy that comes from within humans. Which makes it very effective against other humans, for better or worse. If you attack a helpless person," I slouched with a frown before Wing cast me a gentle look. "With ill intent, you can use aura to kill."

My brows furrowed as I bit the inside of my cheek in worry. Use aura to kill? Based off of what Wing that Kurokoo guy had said I already had a slight grasp on aura, on Nen, if I learnt Nen completely would it help or worsen whatever was going on with my blackouts? My 'instinct' as Wing had said. Would I…end up killing someone every time I blacked out? Honestly, I didn't want to find out.

I glanced at Gon and Killua and frowned deeper. If it wasn't for them, I'd back out of learning Nen all together but…I didn't want them to leave me behind.

I focused back on Wing when he moved away from us, facing the wall beside the whiteboard. "Only one thing can protect you from someone who uses Nen. You must also learn to use Nen." He glanced over his shoulder at us briefly before raising his hand to the wall and continuing. "You must use Ten for defence, block the other person's aura with your own. Otherwise…"

There was a sudden shift in the air as Wing gathered his own Nen, the shroud around him thicker than before. The hairs on the back of my neck rose just before Wing sent his aura forward, completely caving in the wall.

Wing turned to use, mouth pressed into a hard line as he observed the two startled boys beside me. "Your body will be crushed."

I suddenly felt faint, making my knees shake. I took a deep breath to calm myself pulling away from Killua, catching everyone's attention as I went and took a seat on one of the couches, burying my face in my hands with a deep sigh. Everything was getting too much.

Did I want that type of power? No, no I didn't. Too much responsibility, too much weight on my shoulders; especially considering this might just help me murder more people.

I began to tremble.

I didn't want any more blood on my hands, innocent or otherwise.

"Kuragi?" Gon questioned softly, he hadn't moved, just turned to look at me.

"Are you alright, Kuragi-chan? Would you like a glass of water?" Wing had come closer, gently placing a hand on my back and moving it almost soothingly.

I sniffled and looked up at him. "Do…" My throat was closing up from nerves. "Do you have a phone I could use?"

Wing frowned when he caught sight of my expression before gesturing to a phone in the corner. "Right there. Do you need anything?"

I shook my head as I pushed myself up and walking to the phone, dialling the number I knew off by heart. "No, thank you." I glanced at Killua and Gon who were sending me mixed expressions. Gon's was worried while Killua's was searching.

"I'll be quick." I assured them just as the phone was picked up on the other end.

"Hello…?" Palm's voice was groggy and thick with sleep. In the background I could hear the familiar sounds of a train, this made me smile.

"Hey, Palm. Listen, I need adv-"

"WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN?" I instinctively pulled the phone away from my ear as Palm began to yell. Hopefully, she wouldn't get in trouble for screaming on a train. "WHAT THE HELL HAPPENED TO YOU BEFORE!? YOU JUST UP AND DISSAPEARED! AND WHEN I TRY TO CALL BACK I'M TOLD YOU'RE AT HEAVENS ARENA! WHAT THE FUCK ARE YOU DOING YOUNG LADY!?"

Oh, it's been awhile since I've heard Palm swear.

There was a tense silence, broken only by Killua's quiet amused scoff, before I heard Palm quietly clear her throat.

"Also, thank you for the money, it's made moving a lot easier on us. Akallu wants to let you know he's brought a lot of books already…you better have kept some for yourself." I was thankful she wasn't yelling anymore.

I pressed the phone back to my ear and sighed, cracking a weak smile. "That's good to hear, he's gonna be a Brainiac by the time I see you two again." My smile turned nervous as I tried to come up with an excuse for Heavens Arena. "And-uh-well….you see….I'm training."

"Training? Training for **what**?" Palm sounded absolutely appalled. "You promised me you'd stay out of trouble!"

"I don't know, okay. I was just going with the flow, living life to the fullest!" I sighed and thumped my head against the wall. "I'm sorry…"

"Hey…Hey….It's okay. I'm sorry for blowing up at you, you just had me worried alright? Now, what do you need advice for? Is it about why you called me last time?" Palm's tone was much gentler now, she had switched into big sister mode.

I took a deep breath to steel my nerves, anticipating another freak out from her once I asked. "No, it's not about that. Though I will call you later to talk about it. Right now, I don't have much time so please give me a straight answer and hear me out until the end. I…I have the option to learn Nen right now, but I'm scared. Scared I'll…" My voice caught in my throat and I exhaled shakely. I could already feel the tears coming. This was why I didn't talk about myself. "I'm scared I'll hurt people, you already know I have and undoubtedly will again but….but is learning Nen worth the risk of killing more people? Do I deserve this type of power?"

There was a tense silence, not only on the other end of the call, but also in the room. Everyone was giving me pitying looks, aside from Killua who only frowned, and I hated it. It was making me feel small, I just hoped someone would say something.

My heart was pounding by the time Palm answered. "Listen to me, Kuragi. Our dad was an amazing fighter, a warrior thousands of people wanted to recruit. You have the potential to become just as strong as him, if not more, and to be honest that has scared me from the moment we lost mom and dad. I don't want the life dad had to become your life, I don't want you to be seen as nothing but a weapon but-" Palm paused, audibly exhaling. "I'm sorry, but you don't have a choice. I expect whoever is going to teach you Nen has explained about our family?"

I sucked in a breath, glad that no-one in the room was able to hear was Palm was saying. "Y-yeah, kind of."

"Then you know, our family's Nen goes back centuries. It is something ancient, raw and wild that has been passed down through hundreds of generations. It's runs off of pure instinct and has such an impact on the users mind that…" Palm sighed, voice becoming quieter. "That it has turned people feral. What we have inside us, our life energy, is almost a completely separate being linked to the very beginning of mankind's existence. And if it's left unchecked, left untamed, can drive us mad or tear us mentally apart. You need to be trained, you need to learn Nen. Hell, I would have taught you myself sooner! But…But I was scared. I barely remember how dad had taught me at your age, and there's always the fact your Nen could be different I-Just…do it, learn Nen."

Suddenly Palm fell quiet and I heard the soft squeal of the train stopping.

"I have to go." My heart clenched in fear at her words. "Just do what I say and learn Nen. Call me later. Get some sleep. I…I love you."

"I love you too." I muttered back automatically, staring blankly at the wall in front of me as I processed everything that I had just been told. Fear settled over me as Palm hung up and I slowly dropped the phone before stiffly turning to face the awaiting people in the room.

All eyes were on me and I felt a sense of grim determination settle over me.

"Teach me Nen, make it quick, because after this I have another phone call to make." I ground out, moving to stand next to Killua.

'_Fuck you dad, you left us with too much to handle. Did you even let mom know what she was getting into?'_

(I was going to end it here but I know you guys would rather I take longer then drop you off a cliff so…)

"As I was saying." Wing cleared his throat, going to stand in front of us again. "Nen is a power that dwells within every person. However, at present, only a few are capable of using that power. Thus, they are treated as geniuses, leaders, psychics, and mystics, or superhumans."

"A power that dwells within everyone…" Gon mused from beside me.

I quickly spoke up before Wing continued. "Wing, what were the Katallus' considered?"

Wing's expression morphed into one of apprehension before he quietly spoke. "Monsters."

Gon, Zushi, even Killua and I all simultaneously gasped, and all eyes turned to me.

'_Monsters.' _I mused, rolling my jaw and gritting my teeth. _'We're monsters….how fitting.' _I scoffed bitterly before Wing reclaimed everyone's attention.

"Now, there are two means by which to awaken the power within you. The deliberate way and the aggressive way. Zushi underwent the deliberate method, he was a quick learner, and he trained hard. So he was able to master Ten in a very short time…in about 6 months."

I groaned loudly and the boys seemed to share my annoyance. I glanced at the clock and saw it was already 9pm. "We don't have 6 months damnit!"

"Yeah, that's too long!" Killua agreed, agitated. "We need to learn Ten, and pass Hisoka before midnight!"

Wing sighed and adjusted his glasses. "Then you three will have to try the aggressive method."

"Will it be fast enough?" Killua stressed.

"That will depend on you." Wing answered reluctantly. "Can you learn to hold your aura within yourselves before time runs out? That's the key."

Wing raised his hand and I tensed, already feeling what was coming next.

"I will now direct my aura towards you. This is known as Hatsu, which I demonstrated earlier." My eyes flickered to the crushed wall and my tension grew. "Naturally, I will restrain myself, since my object is not to destroy you. However, this way is still perilous, particularly for you Kuragi. I will be attempting to shock your bodies into awakening. I will give your sleeping bodies a jolt, so you can learn Ten more easily."

Wing's eyes flickered to me and I flinched.

"Kuragi, this is not necessary for you. You are already capable of passing Hisoka's Nen barrier. However, if you wish for me to teach you anything more you must allow me to awaken you completely. Do you understand?"

I nodded, not trusting my voice. No backing out now. I was sticking through this, I had no choice.

Wing turned his gaze from me. "I said that your body sleeps because your body's opening, or micropyles, are closed, meaning that your aura flow is stunted. Kuragi's micropyles are opened only partially, which has allowed her to tap into her Nen at random intervals, however they put a strain on her body which causes her to black out and her body to act of its own accord and leaving her exhausted. But this won't happen to you boys, Kuragi was born with vastly different Nen then yours, so don't worry."

I shrunk lower as Wing so casually talked about my Nen, it was giving me an odd sense of embarrassment.

"I will send my aura into your bodies, to open your micropyles. Now, under normal circumstances, you would spend a long time meditating and discovering your own auras, while slowly opening those apertures." Wing adjusted his glasses again before continuing. "Even Zushi, a natural talent, required three months. However you boys could do it in a week…and Kuragi, two or three days. Which is why I find it so unfortunate that we have such little time to work with."

Killua, Gon and I had equal looks of astonishment as we looked at each other.

"Why would it take less for Kuragi?" Gon questioned curiously, and I was glad he had spoken up.

"As I said before," Wing's expression didn't lighten as he answered. "Kuragi was born with vastly different Nen to ours, her's is raw and wild, directly linked to the nature of man and thus more in tune with her mind, body and soul. Tapping into, and awakening, that aura would be as easy for her as opening a door is for us. The process is sped up even more at the fact something has already partially forced open her micropyles."

"I don't really get it…But quick and dirty is always better." Killua hummed and threw his hand behind his head as he sent me a smirk, raising a brow suggestively.

It took me a second to understand the look, but as soon as I did my face burst into an angry blush.

'_Did he just fucking-'_

"This is a shady, highly frowned upon method-"

I cut Wing off, smirking at his wording. "Now you're talking my language. Shady and frowned upon is my thing."

Wing sighed, obviously getting frustrated at the fact we weren't taking this as seriously as he was. "You will be ignoring the correct procedure. You could even die, if the person using this method were weak or evil."

I stretched, suddenly feeling the bravado from before I'd go on a heist in Meteor City taking over, and smirked. I almost felt giddy. "Hell, this ain't the first time I've risked my life for something ultimately stupid. And besides, I don't have a choice when learning Nen so why take my time when I can just get it over with, huh?"

"And besides, you aren't weak or evil." Gon rationalized, backing me up. "Right?"

I grinned and gestured to Gon dramatically. "See? See? Gon agrees!"

"What? I'm just stating a fact…right?" Gon was starting to get naively confused.

I ignored him and instead grinned at Wing wider.

'_Come on, don't be a little bitch, you'll make me second guess myself.'_

Wing sighed harder and rested his head in his hand, taking a deep breath. We were starting to frustrate him.

"With what Gon said before." Killua spoke up and I inwardly cheered that he was helping our case. "That's why I want to know…why would you suddenly decide to teach us the true four major principles?"

I deflated. Of course he was just questioning Wing's motives. Of course.

Wing frowned. "I did not want to squander this opportunity. If you were to challenge the 200s, with none of this knowledge, you would suffer greatly. Up there, everyone knows how to manipulate Nen. And they have a special greeting for any newcomer ignorant of Nen, a Nen attack. In other words; they do what I am about to, but without restraint." We all cringed at the thought of that, and Wing's expression got violently dark. "They don't care, even if people die…Only those who survive are allowed to pass. They are the chosen. However, they pay a steep price, that's why I wanted you to be prepared."

There was a brief, tense silence as Wing waited for any of us to back out before he frowned and raised a hand. I could feel him focusing his aura.

"Now, despite my attempts to scare you, I have confidence that this will awaken your power! You have the potential, as well as the ability. Put you belongings down, take of your shirts, and turn your back to me. Kuragi, since I only have two hands you will have to go after Gon and Killua."

Doing as he said, Gon and Killua dropped their packs while I deftly threw off my upper shirt, the boys doing the same shortly after. I waited to the side as Gon and Killua stood with their backs to Wing, whi had removed the sling to gain full use of both his arms. His injed one was still wrapped tightly in bandages though.

"I'll begin." Wing stated, giving the boys a moment to prepare before he was forcing his aura into him.

I flinched and squeezed my eyes shut as the aura intensified and the boys screamed. I was not looking forward to my turn at all.

"Every micropyles on your bodies has opened." My eyes snapped open at Wing's words and they widened once I took in Gon and Killua, who were staring down at themselves in amazement. The aura was so thick around them I could clearly see it, it was almost beautiful. "That's your life aura, or life energy. You two can see it now, because the micropyles in your eyes were also opened."

"It's like smoke, or mist." Gon marvelled, staring at the Nen emitting from his hands.

"It's a bit…**mist-**ifying, isn't it?" I smirked at my joke, before Killua sent me look that made me shrink. "Right…not the time."

I was definitely getting nervous.

Gon sent me a small amused smile before he spoke again. "It's like steam, rising from the spout of a kettle."

"It's rushing from every part of my body." Killua added, sounding nervous. "It won't stop gushing out."_ 'That's what she-Kuragi! Not the time!' _"Isn't that dangerous?"

Wing remained calm as he answered, despite Killua's observation, "This is your life energy, so if it continues to escape, you will grow tired. If you expend all your aura, you will collapse from fatigue."

I sent Killua and Gon worried glances, bitting my lip. That definitely wasn't something we needed right now.

"Listen to me," Wing spoke sternly. "You must concentrate on keeping your aura within your body. Close your eyes!" The boys quickly followed his instructions, helping ease my nerves slightly. "Use any stance that helps you focus. Then visualize your aura flowing like blood through your body; from the top of your head to your right shoulder, to your hand, before passing through your legs, to the left side. And now visualize that flow beginning to ebb and hovering around your body."

After a moment of silence the intensity of their auras ebbed and became barely visible to me, but I could still see that it had wrapped around the boy like a blanket. Out of the corner of my eye I noticed Wing give a nervous smile.

"Slowly open your eyes." Wing instructed. "How do you feel?"

Gon was the first to speak. "I feel like I'm surrounded by some kind of warm mucus."

I involuntarily groaned out loud. "Ewwww."

Killua looked at me before breaking out in the most mischievous smile I had ever seen on him, before he reached an aura covered hand over to touch me. I shrieked and pressed myself as far away from his hand as I could. "Ew no! Don't touch me with it!"

"Ah-hem!" Wing drew our attention back to him loudly. "Continue to maintain those images constantly. Once you've established them, you'll be able to use Ten in your sleep. Now, Kuragi, it's your turn."

I swallowed the sudden lump in my throat and nodded, making my way to Wing as Gon and Killua made room for me. As I turned my back to Wing, Gon sent me a smile and thumbs up just before I closed my eyes. I readied myself for Wing's aura just as it hit.

It took all my willpower to not just leap away and bolt out of the area. His aura was strong and overwhelming, crawling all over my skin and almost stifling me. From the point of impact I could feel a numb burning spread throughout my body, all the way to my fingers and toes. It was the same feeling I got before I blacked out but more…tame.

And just like that, as quickly as it came, it was over.

"That's…unusual."

I snapped my eyes open and lurched at Wing's words, frantically searching myself for what was 'unusual'. It wasn't until I had calmed down and looked at my aura did I notice. The aura wasn't wildly pouring out of my like it had done with Gon and Killua, it was smooth and oval shaped, the aura just leaking out through the point above me. It was almost like…

"A candle flame…" Killua whispered from behind me.

"Pretty!" Gon chirped, making me blush.

"So uh, I just…focus right? Visualize flow and all that?" I stuttered as I closed my eyes, and tried to duplicate Wing's instructions from before. Which didn't turn out too hard, soon I was in between Killua and Gon, my aura blanketed tightly around me. It was a warm, comforting feeling.

"Next, I will use a hostile Nen attack against you!" Wing's aura shifted and became dark, and intimidating. Living up to its hostile nature.

His Nen enveloped the room and I flinched as I felt it push and stab at my own, almost feeling like cold blunt knives prodding uselessly against my skin. It wasn't painful but it wasn't pleasant.

"Previously, it would have been painful for you to stand within this." Wing explained.

"Yeah, I understand you blizzard analogy now." Killua agreed quietly, relaxing.

Wing smiled, a bead of sweat trailing down his neck. "If you can fend off my Nen, you'll be able to break through Hisoka's barrier with ease! Now…here I come!"

We braced ourselves just as Wing's Nen became painfully intense. I had to bite my lip to keep from yelping in discomfort.

**HunterXxXxXHunter**

Hisoka glanced up at us with a smirk as we stepped into the hall, determination rolling off of us in waves. A slight flare in his Nen was all the warning we got before we were enveloped in the same malicious wall of Nen. None of us budged, even though it was darker then Wing's, it wasn't as bad as it had been before.

Killua grabbed my hand and pulled me forward as he and Gon began to walk, our Nen easily cutting through Hisoka's like a knife through butter. No effort required. As soon as we were within a few feet of Hisoka his Nen completely vanished and his smirk grew even wider.

"Welcome to the 200s." Hisoka greeted, almost smugly. "It appears that I needn't bother with the traditional greeting, what a shame. I was looking forward to your reaction, little dragon." Hisoka liked his lips as his eyes settled on me, I just narrowed my eyes at him before his eyes slid away from me to Gon "Hm, I can guess why you came to Heavens Arena. You intended to train before challenging me…"

"Yeah, but I didn't expect to find you here." Gon answered fearlessly. I felt a swell of pride at his confidence. "That save me time."

Hisoka chuckled, not even concealing his amusement at Gon's demeanour. "You should avoid being overconfident in your ability to use Ten. There is much to learn about Nen." As he spoke he raised his hands and I narrowed my eyes at the pink aura that formed between them.

Spade.

Skull.

What the hell was he playing at?

"To be honest," Hisoka spoke as his aura continued to change, it didn't look like Gon or Killua had noticed the aura either. "At present, I feel no urge to fight you." He paused, his eyes flicker to me briefly before he stood. "**Mostly. **However, if you manage to win a single match in the 200s, I shall accept your challenge." And with that, he simply walked away.

We watched him go for a while, making sure he wouldn't try anything, before Killua ushered us to move. Just because we had time before midnight, didn't mean we should dawdle.

"Welcome to the 200s!" The receptionist welcomed us warmly as soon as we came into view, handing us forms. "Please fill out these forms here. Would you like to register for a match now?"

"Sign me the fuck up." I stated plainly as I grabbed a form, skimming it over.

"Kuragi." Killua hissed at me disapprovingly.

I shrugged, uncaring. "What?"

"In this class, there is a self-service system" The receptionist explained, smiling down at me. "By which you're permitted ninety days or preparation. You may choose to fight on any day during that time. Of course, you're also free to fight every day, and you can also wait to the very last day to fight. Once you've participated in a fight, you have another ninety days to prepare. However, if you don't fight before those ninety days end you will be disqualified, and your name will be struck from all records."

"Does that mean we'll be fighting in this class multiple times?" Gon questioned, somewhere between exited and apprehensive.

"Yes, you need ten wins to clear this floor. However if you lose four times before ten wins, you'll be disqualified."

"Well that seems hardly fair-"

"And!" I frowned at the receptionist cut me off. "If you win ten times, you have a chance to challenge to Floor Masters! They're the twenty-one strongest fighters here. Each claims one of the floors from 230 to 250. Do you understand now? If you defeat a Floor Master, you become the new master of that floor!"

None of us showed any true enthusiasm for her explanation, making her smile awkwardly and stuttered to think of other things to hype us up with. "Th-that's not all! If you become a Floor Master you earn the right to participate in the biannual celebration of combat, The Battle Olympia!"

Still, none of use showed any enthusiasm. I mean, I would have, if she hadn't so rudely cute me off before.

"No reaction?" The receptionist deflated, frowning.

"Forget that." Killua scoffed. "Is there anything special about the top floor?"

"That's what you want to know!? The champion of the Battle Olympia gets to live on the top floor! I'll have you know, Katallus-sama's relative used to be the Battle Champion! It's an incredible honour!"

I blanched. _'I'm sorry, what?'_

My dad used to be the battle champion?

I just pictured him living it up, up top while dressed in a fancy suit and surrounded by babes. Did I want that? Nope.

Killua and Gon looked at me then each other, as unimpressed as I was. Obviously we didn't give a damn about all that Floor Master and Battle Olympia crap, but this lady just couldn't take a hint because she continued to babble.

"A penthouse 1000 meters above the ground, don't you get it!?"

"I have a feeling someone has penthouse envy." I 'subtly' whispered to Killua, making him snicker and the receptionist fume.

"But Killua's house is 3700 meters above ground, right?" Gon ever so innocently stated, making the receptionist practically fall over herself"

"A-and the champion always receives a prize of-" The receptionist enthused weakly, only to be interrupted by Killua.

"What do you two feel like doing? Now that I know the top floor's secret I don't care anymore."

"I just want to fight with Hisoka!" Gon cheered, grinning like an idiot.

"Hm, same." I hummed, sliding my now filled out form to the receptionist. "But first, practice. I want to see what the competition is like on this floor."

"Well, then you'll both need to win a fight. But, you're gonna wait bit first, right Gon?" Killua cast me a disapproving look as he said this and I just shrugged.

If you snooze, you lose. I was not waiting around for all the good matches to get taken up. Fuck Wing and his stupid 'wait two months so I can teach you more' rule, I had the urge to fight NOW.

"Nope, I'm doing this!" Gon answered, making Killua slump. "I have to find out how different these opponents are! Like Kuragi said!"

"Ha! See! The man knows what he's talking about!" I slung my arm over Gon's shoulder and laughed loudly.

"I'll need you to fill out this form as well then." The receptionist huffed, sliding two more forms our way.

I snatched mine up with a grin and began filling it out alongside Gon, just as the sound of wheels on carpet approached. A slimy feeling crawled down my spine, making me shiver and turn. I was greeted by the sight of three handicapped creeps, to put it lightly.

'_No arm, no legs, wheelchair, all weirdos.' _I smirked. _'Wheelies looks like he does speed. I like speed.'_

"You want something?" Killua narrowed his eyes at them. I was glad to know it wasn't just me who immediately disliked them.

"No, not really." Wheels replies flippantly with an odd smile on his face.

"We're simply in line to register for a fight." Armless explained, the same odd smile on his face.

All that came from Legless was a wheezy little chuckle. It was official that I wasn't gonna touch that guy with a ten foot pole. He gave me the same feeling the paedophiles did back in Meteor City.

Killua seemed to sense my discomfort, because he moved in between Legless and I just as the other gave the same creepy chuckles. I shuddered, immediately deciding to stay away from all of them.

"Oh, I get it." Killua sighed, already bored with the situation. "These guys want to fight on the days you do."

I narrowed my eyes at Wheels before stepping around Killua. I needed to show I wasn't afraid or these guys would single me out. "Oh, really? Well, anyone who wants to fight me, schedule for tomorrow." I cracked my neck. "I'm eager to see what you got."

From behind me I heard Gon finish filling out his paper work, and then mine for me before handing them over. "I'm ready to go whenever!" He chimed determinedly."There you go." Killua shrugged, shoving his hands in his pockets.

"You two have plenty of spunk." Armless grinned, fixing his eyes on Gon as Legless and Wheels chuckled.

The atmosphere was tense as we stared each other down, it almost felt like a fight could break out right here at any-

"Then Gon-sama will be in room 2207." I jumped at the sudden loud voice of the receptionist. "Killua-sama will be in room 2223, and Katallus-sama will be in room 2224." The receptionist handed us our keys and I grinned at the assassin next to me. "We will let you know which day your match is, Gon-sama."

"Thanks." Gon chimed politely.

"Looks like we're neighbours~" I taunted, getting in his face. All Killua did was grin down at me, but that was enough to make my stomach flutter and make me pull away.

"Let's go." Killua grabbed my sleeve and yanked me forward before letting go and walking on, he made sure I was in front of him as he walked away. Maybe those guys set him on edge.

"They must have gone through that greeting Four-Eyes had mentioned." Killua muttered as he kept his eyes on the three creeps who were watching us walk away.

"Probably." I hummed, eating a chocolate ball. "Hmm, one more left…"

"Huh?" Killua turned to me, confused about what I been talking about before he saw the last chocolate ball in my hand. "Speaking of…did you leave that bag of candy in your last room?"

I shrugged. "Eh, yeah. I didn't feel like eating it, besides I'm getting a little fat. "I poked my stomach to prove it. "I don't need all that sugar."

"No you're not." Killua huffed as he walked beside me, snatching the melting chocolate ball out of my hand and popping it in his mouth. "You're not getting fat."

I stared at my empty hand before glaring at Killua. "Why you-"

"Oh! There's my room!" Gon merrily skipped ahead before coming to a stop in front of door 2207 and opening it. As we stepped in Killua went back to his previous topic.

"If we had gone in blind, we would have ended up like those guys." Killua seemed perturbed by it and I couldn't blame him, I was too.

"WOW! This room is huge!" Gon cried, excitedly running into the jointing bathroom.

"Hey, are you listening to me?" Killua scowled after Gon.

I chuckled and thumped him on the back. "Come on, cut us some slack, we aren't rich and used to huge rooms like this like you are."

I ran past him and took a running jump into the king bed, engulfed by the plush pillows with a laugh. "I've only ever seen stuff like this in magazines!" I squirmed around in the bed, getting comfy with a sigh. "Man, this bed is comfy!"

"I've never seen such a big bed!" I was suddenly joined by a madly giggling Gon, which made me laugh loudly.

"Hey! This is my bed! Get your own!" I playfully shoved Gon off the bed, only serving in making him laugh louder.

"What!? No way! This is my room!" Gon pouted, pouncing on me and fruitlessly trying to tickle.

"Not anymore it's not-"

Suddenly, our roughhousing was cut short by the TV lighting up, emitting shrill beep. Gon and I sat up, frowning at it.

"You're battle has been set for 3pm, March 11th…" I read aloud slowly, grinning. "Looks like you and I have some asses to kick tomorrow."

"What!? Tomorrow?" Killua exclaimed. "That was fast."

Gon hadn't been listening though, he had focused on his aura, making it more prominent. "I probably won't be able to win tomorrow…But that's okay! I need the experience, and I need to discover what I can do with this power!"

I flopped back on the bed, smiling widely. "Boy, where did you buy your optimism? Cause I gotta get me some of that…"

**HunterXxXxXHunter**

Killua and I had stayed in Gon's room for a bit more before Killua dragged me out, saying we needed our sleep for tomorrow. I didn't put up a fight, I had been falling asleep on Gon's bed anyway.

"Night Killua!" I called as I fumbled with the keys to my door.

"Kuragi…"

I stun around, startled that Killua's voice had come from right behind me. He was so close is chest was all most touching mine. He leaned down, eyes fixated on mine as his had come to rest beside my head.

My heart started pounding in my chest, despite my best efforts to calm down. He was way too close for comfort.

"Y-yeah…?" My face heated up at my stutter as my eyes involuntarily flickered down to his lips then back up.

Was he going to kiss me? What that what this is!?

"Careful." Killua's voice was low, quiet. "Be careful tomorrow."

And with that he was out of my face and into his room.

"Y-yeah…" I whisper, heart still pounding and face still red. "Okay…"

**BOOM! And that's how you do it baby!**

**So Question time!**

**What do you think Kuragi's Hatsu is now that her Nen has been more thoroughly explained?**

**What do you think of her Nen?**

**And Whhhhat? Killua's being really nice right now? Why do you think that is huh?**

**How do you think Kuragi's match is going to go?**

**Anything else catch your attention in this chapter?**

**Got any questions for me? Ask away!**


End file.
